Gold plates with the names of the gods: an unusual treasure from the Indonesian province
Photo © thejakartapost.com
A stone box with gold plates was found a few years ago in the area of the village of Ringigarik in the Indonesian province of Central Java. It was found by workers during the laying of the water main.
The stone "case" with a lid measuring 14x13.5x6 cm was undamaged. Inside there were 22 plates with inscriptions in the Old Yavan language.
The representative of the Agency for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Central Java said that the plates are made of 18 karat gold (corresponds to the 750th metric sample).
The inscriptions on them were the names of the lokapal - the gods of the sides of the world in Hinduism and Buddhism. The plates represent eight of them: Indra (east), Yama (south), Varuna (west) and Kubera (north), Agni (southeast), Nirriti (southwest), Vayu (northwest) and Isana ( northeast).
