Trekking to the Indonesian Chicken Church, a dove-shaped house of prayer

August 18, 2015 10:11 AM

1.6 miles (2.56 km) west of the famous Borobudur, or Barabudur, Mahayana Buddhist Temple in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia is a building in the shape of a giant bird with a crown (warning: unnecessary music). Though widely referred to as the Chicken Church ("gereja ayam" in Indonesian), the builder, Daniel Alamsjah designed it to be a dove-shaped house of prayer.

You can see the structure on in aerial photography (Google maps), but getting there can be tricky. Local folks are happy enough to guide you, but you may have to ask in Javanese. Here's an older blog on the structure, with notes on traveling in the area, some history, and links back to source material.

Not to be confused with the accidental chicken church of Madeira Beach, Florida, which you can (virtually) drive past with ease (Google maps street view).

posted by filthy light thief (6 comments total)

john baez just wrote about visiting borobudur :P more adventures in java!
posted by kliuless at 10:25 AM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]

Also not to be confused with Church's Chicken.
posted by Strange Interlude at 11:08 AM on August 18, 2015

I can't believe I was two miles from there and didn't see it! :-(

Next time. Borobudur is a great marvel...
posted by lupus_yonderboy at 11:13 AM on August 18, 2015

Incontrovertible proof that Jesus was in fact a pigeon, as propounded by Kingpigeon Productions in various pamphlets circa 1996/1997. (The zines "Do You Know The Face of Jesus" and "The Book of Pigeon" are but two testaments to his feathery glory)
Need more proof? "The BIRD BIRD BIRD, THE BIRD IS THE WORD" -The Trashmen, cf. John 1:1 and John 1:14.
posted by warreng at 11:32 AM on August 18, 2015

+5 faith in Civ.
posted by vbfg at 11:32 AM on August 18, 2015 [2 favorites]

This might be more appropriate music ... or at least more fun.
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:50 AM on August 18, 2015