Dieng Plateau

Dieng Plateau (ꦣꦶꦲꦾꦁ; diyéng) is a plateau in Central Java, Indonesia that forms the floor of the caldera complex on the Dieng Volcanic Complex. Administratively, this plateau is included in the territory of Banjarnegara Regency and Wonosobo Regency. Covers agricultural areas that have a subtropical climate with high levels of rainfall. Dieng is surrounded by a series of mountains that stretch about 6 km (4 miles) from north to south and 14 km (9 miles) from west to east. Dieng is the highest plateau on the island of Java, which has an average elevation of more than 2,100 meters above sea level. Dieng is a name that comes from Old Javanese words: di means "place" and hyang means "ancestors" or "gods", literally "Dihyang" means "place of the ancestors" or "place where the gods reside". Dieng is a mountainous area, the ancient Javanese believed that the ancestors and gods resided in high places. People generally call this plain popularly known as "the land above the clouds", because its fertile region is surrounded by clouds and mist from the mountains. A number of Old Javanese inscriptions dating from the 9th century in Central Java mention the existence of Dieng. Based on the findings of the inscriptions, in his time this plateau functioned as a religious center and place of worship for Hinduism. These inscriptions include the Gunung Wule inscription (783 Śaka/861 AD), the Kapuhunan inscription (800 Śaka/878 AD) and the Wintang Mas II inscription (841 Śaka/919 AD) which were found in Wonosobo Regency; as well as the Indrakila inscription (804 Śaka/882 AD) found in Batang Regency. The Gunung Wule inscription tells of someone who was ordered to maintain a sacred building in the Dihyang area; The Kapuhunan inscription mentions a holy place named Kailasa as a place of worship for Pitamaha (a designation of an honorable person) who has received support to carry out services for Sri Haricandana (the god Shiva), this inscription also mentions an area called Dihyang; the Wintang Mas II inscription contains the Sang Hyang Dharma at Wintang Mas who was a witness at Dihyang; and the Indrakila inscription contains the gift of sima land (civil administration) to Sang Hyang Dharma in Dihyang.