Revealing an ancient university

The monastery of Candi Kedaton, viewed from the air, shows the clustered areas of different disciplines and religious activities exercised during the height of Muarajambi. The mahavihara—an ancient university—was once a center of historical knowledge. Today, Muarajambi invites researchers, students, and scholars to study its lost civilization. The research hopes to uncover the significant contribution of Muarajambi to the evolution of knowledge, community, and common understanding across different race, groups, and religions that have constantly changed in Sumatra and Southeast Asia.

Candi Bukit Perak, or Bukit Sengalo, sits surrounded by palm oil plantations. Growing palm oil in Muarajambi began in the 1980s and has become especially popular as farmers can harvest every two weeks once the trees reach five years of age. Javanese transmigrants, who were brought during Dutch colonial times to grow rice, are slowly leaving their paddies behind and replacing them with palm trees. This presents a conservation challenge, given that the area designated “cultural heritage” in Muarajambi is enveloped by palm oil plantations.

Along the banks of the Batanghari River in Muaro Jambi, the restored temple Candi Teluk I stands among a coal and palm kernel stockpile facility and palm oil plantation. The space along this straight portion of the river has made it an appealing location for various industries—shipbuilding, coal, palm oil, palm kernel shell, and plywood—thanks to easier access to jetties on the riverbanks. For this reason it is vital that these burgeoning industries do not infringe on the protection of cultural heritage and advocacy is needed.

The temple complexes of Candi Muarajambi, clockwise from left to right: Candi Bukit Perak, Candi Gumpung and its complex of stupas, Candi Koto Mahligai, Candi Kedaton, the top of Candi Gumpung, and Candi Astano. These vihara (Buddhist temples and monasteries) functioned as centers for learning for the Buddhist-majority civilization that lived here between the seventh and 13th centuries, during the rule of Srivijaya kingdom. So far, about a dozen temple, monastery, and water sites have been restored, with 115 menapo (potential sites) yet to be excavated and renovated.

Candi Gumpung, in the village of Muaro Jambi, was among the first temples at the site to be discovered, excavated, and renovated. Abdul Hafiz, a local resident, recalls how the area was smothered by forest when early excavation efforts took place in the 1970s. 

Chinese coins and bronze figures are often found in Candi Muarajambi. Malay, Indian, Persian, and Chinese traders often crossed paths here, noting its significance as a place of exchange. Other relics like roof tiles or ceramics from the Tang dynasty have also been found, and carbon dating of these artifacts shows that civilization may have existed in Muarajambi since the 6th century.

A stupa (left) stands on Candi Kembar Batu in the village of Muarojambi. Within Buddhism, the presence of a stupa denotes the place as a sacred site. The stupas, like the rest of the building structures of Muarajambi, are made with locally sourced bricks.

A makara (right) is a sea creature in Hindu-Buddhist iconography, a cross between a terrestrial animal (an elephant) and a water animal (a fish). The makara in Candi Kedaton was first discovered in 2011, and guards the steps of Candi Kedaton.

Candi Bukit Perak, also known as Bukit Sengalo, is the famed meeting place of Indian–Buddhist philosopher Dharmakirti and his student, Atiśa, who studied for 12 years in Suvarnadvipa (today’s Sumatra) between 1011-1023 under the Srivijaya Buddhist empire. This exchange of knowledge was an important moment in the development of Buddhist philosophy in Suvarnadvipa.

Ruci Ardi, a lab manager at Jambi's cultural conservation agency, walks in front of a pohon kundru (Tetrameles nudiflora), a type of flowering tree. Candi Koto Mahligai had its first dedicated excavation in 2022, with the restoration completed by September 2024. About 140 people—mostly locals—divided into groups were tasked with restoring the monastery.

Longan trees (Dimocarpus longan), locally known as bedaro, stand erect on top of the elevated columns (cetiyaghara) of Candi Koto Mahligai temple, during the earlier restoration of the monastery. Current vegetation at the site is both a blessing and a curse for the restoration process: The trees could regulate the temperature of the bricks underneath, but the trees’ taproots penetrate the structure of the building. Acknowledging the importance of the trees, the restoration team has to choose which trees to cut to ensure that the cultural heritage and existing ecosystem of the area are both preserved.

Candi Koto Mahligai’s columns after the restoration work was completed in September 2024. Without any blueprints, but with existing mahavihara in Nalanda and vikramashila in India (ancient university buildings of a similar style) for architectural reference, conservationists were able to reimagine the monastery’s former state.

Longan trees roots snake through the steps and flooring of Candi Koto Mahligai temple’s pavilion (mandapa). Once used as a place of personal, mental, and spiritual growth, it’s hoped that the temples and monasteries of Candi Muarajambi will invite modern Buddhist monks back for refuge.

Nyai Nuni (far right) and Nyai Yanti (center) cook rendang, a spicy meat dish—made in this case using water buffalo—in preparation for the Tabun Tawar and Lapan Lawang Sejarangan (eight doors, one vessel) festival in the village of Desa Baru. As part of Muarajambi’s cultural heritage, villagers from the eight villages around Muarajambi show off their local cuisine in the hopes of benefitting from of tourism in Candi Muarajambi.

Ancient canals flow within a few miles of the Batanghari River, right in front of the monastery site of Candi Kedaton. They used to be a transport channel through the swamp and the once inhospitable area of Muarajambi. Today, they are constantly cleared of the vegetation that grows in them. These thousand-year-old waterways are a testament to the ingenuity of the Malay community of Muarajambi, when it started inhabiting the area at the beginning of the sixth century.

Click here to learn more about Candi Muarajami.