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SHRI SAI LEELA – APRIL 1986Hsien arrived in Java on his way back to China from India. He stayedin the island for five months "where heresies and Brahmanism wereflourishing, while the faith of Buddha was in a very unsatisfactorycondition" From Java Fa-Hsien sailed for Canton in a merchantvessel which had two hundred Hindu traders on board. This onceagain emphasizes the trade motivation of Indian activities in SoutheastAsia. Buddhism too made a thrust in Java within a few yearsafter Fa-Hsien left the island. Chinese chronicles tell us about theconversion of Javanese king and his court by an Indian Buddhistmonk Gunavarman in the early fifth century. After this both Hinduismand Buddhism lived together peacefully in the Archipelago. In courseof time there was complete fusion of the two religions though in theirtemples and monuments they maintained their separate identity.Thus we have Borabudur the most famous and the largest Buddhistshrine considered an eighth wonder of the world built, by the rulers ofthe Shailendra dynasty, in the second half of the eighth century. TheShailendras were a ruling line of Indian origin. The greatestBrahmanical monument in Central Java is the temple Chandi LordPrambanan. Three of its shrines are dedicated to Brahma, Vishnuand Shiva and the plinths are decorated by continuous reliefs fromthe Ramayana and Bhagvata. From the evidence of inscriptionsfound in Western Java, we know that a Hindu Kingdom flourished inthis region from the fifth century onwards. As the paleography ofthese inscriptions indicates Pallava influences, it is reasonable tosuppose that this wave of immigrants into Western Java was fromSouth India. Hindu rule in Central Java was established in thebeginning of the seventh century. In 603 the king of Gujarat sent his25WWW.SAILEELAS.ORG