Bumi Ayu

Bumiayu stands beside the Lematang River, between Palembang and the Pasemah highlands of southern Sumatra. Its brick temples and sculptures mark a Hindu religious centre in a region often associated with the Buddhist kingdom of Srivijaya. The shrine closest to the river was dedicated to Shiva; carved figures and terracotta decoration testify to a rich artistic life on this inland waterway.

The complex developed from around the ninth century and saw further construction in the thirteenth. Sculptures from the later phase bear fierce faces and skull ornaments associated with Tantric imagery. Chinese ceramics found at the site reveal connections beyond the Lematang valley, while the river itself offered a route between the highlands and Palembang. Bumiayu shows the variety of beliefs and artistic traditions that flourished in the interior of the Srivijayan world.