TRAVEL
APRIL 16, 2021
the magnificent prambanan temple
Prambanan Temple is the largest Hindu temple complex in Indonesia. Built in the 9th century, Prambanan was first mentioned in Syiwagrha Inscription (856 AD).
It was first built by Rakai Pikatan, the king of Sanjaya Dynasty and later developed by Balitung Maha Sambu during the Medang Mataram empire.
Prambanan is locally known as the Roro Jonggrang Temple or the Temple of The Slender Virgin. The site is located on the border between Yogyakarta and Central Java, Indonesia. Approximately 17- 20 kilometers in east of Yogyakarta. The main temple on the complex reaching about 47 meters height and leads to the east with more than 500 individual temples and shrines around.
The temple complex consists of three zones : First is the outer zone, the open public area. Second is the middle zone where you can find hundreds of temples. While the last is the third zone, or the deep zone which is the holiest zone, the location of the eight main temples and eight small temples.
It is the designation of a group of Hindu and Buddhist. The temple complex consists of Prambanan, Lumbung, Bubrah and Sewu temple compounds and located within Prambanan Archeological Park. The temple compounds are located along Opak River Valley within Prambanan Plain or Kewu Plain. The complex is one of the most beautiful temples in Southeast Asia and the best time to visit the complex is around sunset.
Over the centuries the temple was damaged by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions and was abandoned to the jungle, covered by trees and bushes. The ruins were rediscovered in 1800’s by a British explorer but restoration work did not start until the 1930’s under Dutch occupation government. Today it is recognized as UNESCO World Heritage site, together with Borobudur temple, it is one of the must see locations of a trip to Central Java.
The Prambanan Temple or Roro Jonggrang Temple is dedicated to Trimurti, the three major Hindu gods : Brahma as the creator god, Vishnu as the keeper god and Shiva as the god of destruction. There are three major temples representing those three gods. Each of them is surrounded by accompanying temple. Shiva is accompanied by Nandini, Brahma is accompanied by Angsa and Vishnu is accompanied by Garuda.
The tallest temple is Shiva temple in the middle where you can find Shiva statues inside the main room. There is also a Brahma statue inside the Brahma temple as well as Vishnu statue inside the Vishnu temple.
The name Prambanan, comes from the name of the village. Taken from the Hindu Brahman theology meaning “Brahman the Great”. The highest and the most powerful one, often the same as the concept of God in Hinduism. Another interpretation suggests that Prambanan comes from the word “mban” in Javanese which means bear or bear the duty. Just like the Hindu Gods organizing and running the harmony of the universe.
All temples in the Prambanan temple complex consist of three parts. These parts consists of the base of the temple, the body of the temple, and the roof of the temple. This division of building structures has philosophical meaning as harmony with the traditions that exist in the ancient Hindu-Buddhist world.
In Java, Hindu temples usually have that kind of box-shaped ornaments on it, while Buddhist temples are usually crowned with stupas, some kind of dome where the Buddha statues sit inside it.
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