Simping Temple: A Hidden Gem in South Blitar

By Kristina Andita Pradani -

 Where to go when you're in Java?

Well, if you loved historical architectures, then this temple is for you!


Fee : Free

Location : South Blitar

Sign : No specific sign, but the temple were listed on the map


This temple is located in Kademangan District, Blitar, East Java. It’s super easy to get to just around 20 minutes from Blitar city center, heading toward Tambakrejo Beach or Bukit Bunda. Since it’s also close to a bunch of other attractions in Blitar, this temple is definitely worth a stop!

If you're heading to Tambakrejo Beach, keep an eye out for a sign pointing to Simping Temple (turn left if you're coming from the city), or just use Google Maps it's already listed there. The temple might not look as grand as others like Penataran Temple, and since it’s tucked away in the southern part of Blitar, it doesn’t get as many visitors.


About the Temple
This Hindu-style temple was discovered by the Dutch in the 1800s, still in fairly good shape. After Indonesia’s independence, the government took over in the 1900s. Sadly, due to frequent thefts of statues and temple stones, the main statue Raden Wijaya, standing 2 meters tall—was moved to a museum in Jakarta for safekeeping.

According to the temple keeper (Pak Sulis), they had to dismantle the temple’s main entrance to remove the statue. Then in 1990, the eruption of Mount Kelud made things worse the temple was buried under 10cm of volcanic ash and its main structure collapsed.

The original statue of Raden Wijaya can now only be seen in visual form. It represents him as Harihara, a combination of the gods Vishnu and Shiva.

Behind the main structure, you’ll find four statues of Batara Kala lined up neatly. They symbolize protectors and the inner struggles humans face in life.

Inside the main part of the temple, there’s a relic stone that shows a dragon (Shiva) and a turtle (Vishnu) creating the Earth. People still place incense and offerings here, and some believe Raden Wijaya’s ashes are buried at this spot. That’s why some visitors come here for spiritual reasons. During election season, you’ll even see political candidates stopping by to “ask for blessings.”

There’s not a lot of detailed info left about this temple, since many of its statues, inscriptions, and stones have been stolen over the years. The only known historical mention is in the Tarumanegara Chronicle, which says this was the resting place of Raden Wijaya.


by : Kristina Andita Pradani

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