REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - The National Museum of Indonesia has kept on public display the oldest statue of Buddha Dipangkara, a heritage treasure from the second century, to educate the people about their cultural history.

"The Buddha Dipangkara statue, made of bronze, is among the oldest collection of 141 thousand statues that belong to the National Museum," the National Museum's Education Service staff member Asep Firman said here Wednesday.

He explained that the Buddha Dipangkara statue, which was found in Sikendeng, Mamuju, in West Sulawesi, was a relic from, approximately, the second century.

Looking at its structural style and shape, the Buddha Dipangkara statue has similarities to the statues from the same period found in South India.

"The fishermen in Sulawesi believe that the statue could bring them blessings and good luck in the form of abundant fish supplies," Firman said.

According to him, the statue might have reached Mamuju through sailors, as no traces of Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms have been found in this area or other regions in Sulawesi.

"Until now, no Hindu or Buddhist archaeological artefact has been found in Mamuju. It is estimated that the Buddha Dipangkara statue, which is considered a symbol of the sea protector, was brought by the sailors from outside Sulawesi," Firman said. 

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