Borobudur, Pawon And Mendut Temples Are Overwhelmed By Light Ash Rain From Mount Merapi

Officers from the Borobudur Conservation Center check the ash from Merapi that flushed the Borobudur Temple area in Magelang Regency. (Photo: Heru Suyitno/Antara)

JAKARTA - Borobudur, Pawon, and Mendut temples in Magelang Regency, Central Java, were hit by a thin ash rain after hot clouds from Mount Merapi occurred on Thursday, August 12 in the morning. Head of the Borobudur Conservation Center (BKB) Wiwit Kasiyati in Magelang, Thursday, said Last night, Mount Merapi erupted again and the rain of Merapi's ash rain reached Mendut, Pawon and Borobudur Temples. His party has checked and the laboratory has taken ash data and measured the thickness of the ash. Then the documentation section has also documented the ashes in the three temples. "Earlier I went up to Borobudur Temple, I saw that the ashes were very thin," he said as quoted by Antara, Thursday, August 12.

He said that his party will consult with BPPTKG to determine the next step whether Borobudur, Mendut, and Pawon temples need to be covered again with tarpaulins to anticipate ash rain. We are waiting for the results of coordination with the BPPTKG to determine the next steps," he said. The Associate Cultural Expert at the Borobudur Conservation Center, Yudi Suhartono, said that the results of the measurements from the laboratory for the thickness of the ash were very thin. In one square meter, there are only 4.7 grams of ash. According to him, the ash stuck to the rock of the temple will be cleaned immediately because if it takes too long it can be dangerous because volcanic ash is acidic.*