Dating`s back to java hindu`s period,the cangkuang temple is one of west java`s oldest monuments. Beautifully situated near Leles north of Garut. Cangkuang is a magical visit back to old sundaneses roots. From Bandung and back this outing takes five to six hour.
Cangkuang is the oldest preserved building in west java. Estimates of when it was built vary between the 7th and 10th century A.D,during the sunda kingdom of Galuh,remains of wich can be seen at Karang Kamulyan.
The Ducth archeological service first reported the collapsed remains of the temple in 1914,but not until the 60`s was the site more closely investigated. The foundations and the sufficients number of stones remained (about 40% of the original) to enable reconstruction in the 70`s.
Prior of reconstruction,the site was a place of worship and pilgrims often came here to lift one of the stones to obtain good luck. Such practices are still alive elsewhere today.
Adjacent to the temple is the grave of Arief Muhammad,who was an officer in the central javanese Mataram Army. In the 17th century this army repeatedly but unsucessfully attacked the Duch base in Batavia,then under the command of Jan Pieterszoon Coen. After the failed expedition,Arief Muhammad setlled here,married,and raised six daughter and one son.
The inhabitants of the cluster of traditional houses below cangkuang temple,beyond the small fence of the lower end of the stairs,consider themselves descendants of Arief Muhammad.
This hamlet called Kampung Pulo (Island Village) and consists of six houses and a small prayer hall. The inhabitants here practice a number of remarkable traditions. The hamlet must always have six households living in the houses,and all others must not be changed,in particular no house may have a square roofs,nobody is allowed to pay homage to Arief muhammad on Wednesdays,apparently because the himself had forbidden to raise four-legged animals in the village,as they might disturb the environment.
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