Tlatar

The village of Tlatar

Green-and-yellow angkots in Tlatar.

Candi Asu.

Candi Lumbung.

Tlatar is a village in the district of Sawangan, Magelang Regency.

Get in

By bus

From Yogyakarta, take a TransJogja bus to the Jombor terminal. Then take a bus heading towards Magelang. Alight at the Blabak market in the town of Mungkid. Walk southward along the main road. Ask the locals for directions to the "bus station", which is located only a few hundred metres south of the Blabak market on the opposite side of the main road. The "bus station" is actually a waiting place for angkots (minibuses). Take an angkot to Tlatar, 15km away (Rp 3,000).

Note: In Indonesia, a "bus station" can easily mean a place to board a bus, without an actual building or structure.

Get around

There are ojeks (motorcycle taxis) to take one around.

See

Candi Asu, Candi Lumbung and Candi Pendem, collectively known as the Sengi temple complex, are ancient Hindu temples only a few hundred metres away from the village of Tlatar. The Kurambitan inscriptions, which were found in the vicinity of Candi Asu, recorded that the temples were built around the year 869AD, during the rule of Rakai Kayuwangi of the Medang Kingdom.

The origin of the name "Candi Asu" is unknown. However, when this temple was first discovered, there was a damaged statue of Nandi (the sacred bull of Shiva) which looked more like a dog rather than a bull. Consequently the locals may have named the temple "Candi Asu" since Asu means "dog" in Javanese).

Candi Lumbung was originally located along the Pabelan River but was threatened by mud flows following the 2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi. Hence, it was relocated 500m to its present but temporary location.

Take note: While Candi Asu and Candi Lumbung are directly accessible by motorcycle, Candi Pendem is not; one will have to walk through fields of rice and grass. Ask the locals for directions.

• 1 Asu Temple (Candi Asu). (updated Dec 2017)

Go next

• Ketep Pass, a pass located in the slope between Mount Merapi and Mount Merbabu that offers a great vantage point for a spectacular view of both mountains.
• Kedung Kayang waterfall, a few kilometres away from Ketep Pass. Take an ojek to get there.
• Selo, a village from which to start the climb up Mount Merapi.
• Yogyakarta