Candi Bangkal, Mojokerto, East Java, Indonesia

Candi Bangkal is located in a farmer land, and easily accessed as the location is not far from village street. It is administratively located in Kembangsari village, Ngoro, Mojokerto and in  badly damaged condition. The red bricks, the material of the temple are damaged by time. Though so, the temple design can still be seen clearly, only the upper part is not intact.c The relief on the temple foot is visible, and several banaspati statuary on temple’s wall are still attached there. THe total statuary is 6, 3 on the entrance and other three are on each side of the temple. Inside the temple, there is a relief of Betara Suryariding a horse. This relief reminds us to the similar relief at Candi Jawi and Candi Badut. If Jawi and Badut Temple were made of andesit blocks, Bangkal Temple was made of red brick, only those temple have same core theme on the middle upper-middle part inside the temple.

The front of the temple has piles of red bricks, that estimated were used as the gate of Candi Bangkal. While the north of the temple there are scattered andesit stone with certain designs, that were used as temple decorations and the upper part of temple.

It has a relief on one of its corner, that was made around 13th to 14th century, where Central Java reign was moving to East Java reign, with the advance of Majapahit influence during that period. Candi Bangkal has symmetric architecture as other temples do.

The design is slim, and tall as East Java style. The tall and slim design is one of the reason East Java temple easily broken and damaged if there was earthquake. Temples like Candi bangkal, Candi Ngetos, Candi Sawentar, and Candi Sumberjati were damaged when quake struck.

As the location of the temple is in the middle of farmer land, the temple is rarely visited by visitors.

Banaspati statuary on each niche of the temple is still there. Once a quake hit that made houses broke down, but the temple stood tall, nothing was broken from the temple. Architecturally, Candi Bangkal resembles Candi pari in Sidoarjo, that faces west and there is kala decoration. On Sedekah Bumi ritual, local people come to the temple with festivities such as party and shadow puppet show. Usually this ritual is held after harvest time.

This temple was estimated to be taller than its present height.