Jambu Inscription, Sanskrit inscription in Batu Tulis, Indonesia
The Jambu Inscription sits in Batu Tulis on a natural rock face measuring between 2 and 3 meters (6.5 to 10 feet) on each side. Two lines of text are engraved into the surface, with two footprints carved into the stone above them.
King Purnawarman of the Taruma kingdom commissioned this inscription in the mid-5th century to document his rule in western Java. The carving shows the influence that Indian scholars and traders had on royal power and language at that time.
The inscription follows the Sragdhara meter, a poetic form used in ancient Javanese royal writing. Pallava script connects this place to the writing tradition that once traveled from South India along trade routes and spread across Java.
The site lies roughly 30 kilometers west of Bogor and opens daily from 09:15 to 16:00. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes because you need to walk a short path to reach the rock.
Two footprints were carved into the stone above the text, though the left one has partially worn away due to natural rock fractures. The prints were meant to symbolize royal presence and remain visible today, even as the stone has cracked in several places.
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