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Dieng Plateau (2,000 m), Central Java · -7.2050°, 109.9070°
The oldest surviving temples of Java, small stone candi standing in a volcanic caldera 2,000 m up — 'Di Hyang', abode of the gods, where Indian temple form first took Javanese root a century before Borobudur. Of perhaps 400 original shrines, eight remain among sulphur vents and coloured lakes, named by later tradition for wayang heroes: Arjuna, Bima, Gatotkaca, Srikandi.
Mist rolling over the caldera gave rise to the belief that this is where gods and ancestors meet; the annual ruwatan here shaves the dreadlocked 'gimbal' children of the plateau, releasing them from spirit-claims in a rite that predates and outlived the temples' own worship.
The Dieng plateau straddles the Wonosobo and Banjarnegara regencies of Central Java at roughly 2,000 m above sea level. It is a three to four hour drive from Yogyakarta via Magelang and Wonosobo, three to four hours from Semarang via Temanggung and Wonosobo, or about three hours from Purwokerto via Banjarnegara; intercity buses run on all three routes. The temple grounds are generally open 07:00–17:00.
coordinates: wikipedia-2026-08-26 · sources retrieved 2026-08-26 · dynasty page: Kalingga/early Mataram