Muara Takus Temple - Kampar, Riau

Site Barelang temple is a Buddhist temple sites located in the village Barelang, District XIII Koto Kampar, Riau, Indonesia. The site is located approximately 135 kilometers from the city of Pekanbaru. Site Barelang temple surrounded by a wall measuring 74 x 74 meters, which is made of white stone with a ± 80 cm high walls, outside their area there is also an earthen wall measuring 1.5 x 1.5 kilometers, surrounds this complex to the edge of the Kampar River right. In the complex there are several buildings of the temple which is called the oldest temple / old, youngest Temple, Mahligai Stupa and Palangkaraya.

The archaeological experts have not been able to determine exactly when the temple site was established. Some say the fourth century, some say the seventh century, the nineteenth century even in the eleventh century. However, this temple is considered to have existed in the heyday of Srivijaya, so some historians consider this region is one of the central government of the kingdom of Srivijaya.

In 2009 Temple Barelang nominated to be one of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Barelang Temple is the oldest temple sites in Sumatra, is the only heritage sites in the form of a temple in Riau. This Buddhist temple which is an evidence that Buddhism once flourished in this region.

Stupa temple architecture Barelang itself is unique because it is not found elsewhere in Indonesia. The shape of this temple has similarities with the Buddhist stupas in Myanmar, stupas in Vietnam, Sri Lanka or ancient stupas in India during the period of Ashoka, the stupa which has the trappings of a wheel and a lion's head, similar to the statues found in the temple complex Barelang.