Gorga Batak on Church of St. Fransiskus Asisi

If you are driving from Medan to Berastagi, do not only passing by this place.. Take a moment in front of the church, I mean Church of St. Fransiscus Asisi. This is the first bulding which has traditional design I found in Medan area. It’s on the right side from Medan, in Jl. Raya Medan-Berastagi, Kabanjahe, about 30 minutes from Medan. Church of St. Fransiskus Asisi, of course, is not Rumah Batak. But as public building, it has been built steady by the combination of traditional and modern construction. Design of this building is very similar to traditional house of Batak.

Look at the upper wall and roof, it has full of engraving along the wall. Gorga Batak. Gorga is mean engraving or chisel and really full of meaning. Gorga only has three colour, black, white, and red. They are called the three bolit. All of the ornament has specific theme. Gorga Ipon-ipon is designed along the wall in some centimeters, Gorga Jorgom above of main door, Gorga Ulu Paung as symbol of pride of the building, and much more style and meaning of Gorga. And all of Gorga in this building, of course, was designed for exceptional and sustainable the function of building.

Vihara Avalokitesvara or Dewi Kwan Yin

This Vihara is in Pematang Siantar, about 3-4 hours by car from Medan, and well known has highest the godes Avalokitesvara or Dewi Kwan Yin.
See the below photograph, it is a picture of statue of the goddess Kwan Yin. It is 22 m high and 8m wide..wow! Do you believe ? It was shipped directly from China ... (Hooaahhh .... can you imagine how it was packaged ?...) At four corners at the based of statue is guarded by four statues of king with some characters.

And still in the same area, in front of the statue goddess Kwan Yin, there is a big bell and praying wheel. Buddhist pushed the wheel while continue to pray.
Vihara Avalokitesvara was designed with a lot of stanchion and reliefs of deities on the walls.
Meanwhile, relief of dragon is main theme for stanchion. Yups…look, I found Mega Mendung,they are patterned on one side. (Hughh..it makes me remember my hometown!) All of sidewall has good reliefs.If you will go or come from Lake Toba, please come to this place-Jl. Pane,Pematang Siantar- just to take photo or pray. It's up to you !