Prambanan, the Iconic and Largest Hindu Temple in Indonesia

VIVA – Prambanan Temple is a historic building that has become a tourist icon for Central Java and Yogyakarta. It is located on the border of Klaten Regency, Central Java and Sleman Regency, Yogyakarta.

As quoted from the page of the Yogyakarta Special Region Cultural Heritage Preservation Center, Prambanan Temple is the largest Hindu-style temple in Indonesia and also designated a World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.

Prambanan Temple is the largest Hindu (Shiva) temple complex in Indonesia that built in the 9^th  century AD. This temple is dedicated to Trimurti, the three main Hindu gods, namely Brahma as the creator god, Vishnu as the guardian god, and Shiva as the destroyer god.

Entrance ticket of Prambanan can be purchased via online. Options include the combined Prambanan–Kraton Ratu Boko package and discounted Prambanan–Borobudur tickets. This temple park is open from 6.30 AM to 6.00 PM.

Prambanan Temple is locally known as Roro Jonggrang temple or the Temple of the “Slender Virgin” or local people known as “Perawan Ramping”. Shiva's main temple rises to a height of 130 feet and houses a magnificent statue of Shiva's consort, Durga.

There are 224 temples in the complex; three of them, the main temple is the Brahma Temple in the north, the Vishnu Temple in the south, and the largest of the three that’s located between the Brahma and Vishnu temples is the Shiva Temple with a height of 47 meters.

In the main courtyard, Shiva Mahadewa Temple, dedicated to Shiva, is not only the biggest temple but also the best. The spire of the main tower rises 47m high, and the temples are ornately carved.

The 'medal' that adorns the pedestal has a distinctive Prambanan motif, a small lion in a niche flanked by a kalpatura (tree from heaven) and a collection of kinnara (heavenly beings) half human half bird.

The scenes of life carved into the inner walls of the galleries surrounding the temple are from the Ramayana. The Ramayana is a story about how Rama's wife, Sinta, was kidnapped and how Hanoman, the monkey god, and Sugriwa, the white monkey general, finally found and released him.

While the Vishnu Temple touches 33-meters and sits just north of the Mahadeva Shiva Temple. The impressive temple reliefs tell the story of Lord Krishna, a hero from the epic Mahabharata, while the four-armed image of Vishnu the Sustainer adorns the inner shrine.

Brahma Temple is a twin temple of Vishnu Temple. To the south of the Shiva Mahadewa Temple, carved with the final scene of the Ramayana. The spectacular mouth opening is noteworthy, and the inner chamber contains a statue of the four-headed Brahma, the god of creation.

The park around Prambanan contains a number of lesser-known temples, including the Buddhist temple Candi Sewu. From around 850 AD, it consists of dozens of outer temples decorated with stupas.

To reach Sewu Temple, you only need a bicycle for Rp 20,000 or a golf cart for Rp20.000 that takes visitors back and forth from the exit of the main Prambanan temple site.

In the mid-16^th century, a great earthquake toppled many temples. Prambanan remained in ruins for many years, its destruction hastened by treasure hunters and locals seeking building materials.

While efforts were made in 1885 to clear the site, it was not until 1937 that the first reconstruction was carried out.

Not only that, Prambanan was also damage by the 2006 earthquake. Although the main temple survived, hundreds of stone blocks collapsed or cracked. Currently, main structure has updated, but there is still a lot of work to be done, and parts of the complex are still forbidden.