Indo-Javanese Culture
The culture that flourished on Java after the 4th Century AD is often referred to as 'Hindu-Javanese'. 'Hindu' in this definition is used in the sense of 'originating from India' rather than 'of or relating to the Hindu religion'. Much of Java's Hindu-Javanese art is Buddhist in nature. In order to avoid confusion, I will call the culture Indo-Javanese, and reserve the term Hindu to describe things specifically pertaining to Hinduism.
Many elements of Indo-Javanese culture originated in India, but on their arrival on Java blended with existing elements to form Indo-Javanese culture. The Indian element is evident from a number of aspects. Java's oldest surviving temples - those on the Dieng plateau - are built to accomodate religious service such as was in vogue in India. But if the function was close to that in India, the art was not. Ornament and decoration borrow from Indian themes, but are Javanese in their own right. The temples were most likely built by Javanese workers, craftsmen and architects who followed instructions brought over from India. That Javanese, rather than Indian architects and foremen directed the workers is based on the fact that instructions written on the uncompleted base of Borobudur use kawi with unconjugated Sanskrit words. The assumption is that a native speaker of Indian languages would have conjugated the Sanskrit. Common sense also demand that if Indian foremen were directing Javanese workers, there should have been a good many of them in all walks of life, and there should have been a greater Indian influence on all aspects of Javanese life than has been the case.
Indian influence is evident from the way in which temples were built, and the proportion used in carving the statues. The proportions are not identical to those in India, but they are identical on Java pointing to some form of guideline. In India, the directives for building temples and carving statues are contained in the
'manasastra' and the 'silpasastra'. Copies of these books have not been found on Java, but their content could easily have been passed on in oral form. This would then explain the differences of Java versus India on the one hand, and the uniformity within Java on the other. Finally it should be noted that a version of the
'silpasatra' is known on Bali.