SINGARAJA ~ Fifteen years after its discovery, a centuries-old Buddhist temple in Kalibukbuk, Buleleng, was declared restored and open for visitors this week.

Director General of History at the Department of Culture and Tourism Hari Untoro Drajat said the site, which was uncovered in September 1994 on private land belonging to local resident Anak Agung Sentanu, was likely covered by mud and floodwaters in 1815.

Drajat said the site, which was mostly buried under about 1.5 meters underground, was from around the 9th Century and archaeological investigations begun in 2002 had found artefacts from both the 9th and 10th Centuries.

He also said the Buleleng community, and especially residents of Kalibukbuk, who are mostly Hindu, had shown great patience and open-mindedness towards the restoration of the Buddhist site.

“This tolerance has become one of the characteristics of our nation, and ought to be maintained,” he said.