Perwara Temple Restoration in Prambanan Spend Costs IDR 2,6 Billion
- Cahyo Edi (Yogyakarta)
VIVA – The Perwara Temple located in row 1 number 5 of the Prambanan Temple complex is restored which took approximately three years and spend cost IDR 2.6 billion.
The inauguration of the Perwara Temple restoration was carried out by the Director General of Culture of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Higher Education; Hilmar Farid. Also present were the Managing Director of PT Taman Wisata Candi (TWC) Borobodur, Prambanan, and Ratu Boko; Febrina Intan and the Head of the Manggar Region X Cultural Preservation Center; Sari Ayuwati.
Hilmar Farid said that the Perwara Temple restoration is not just restoring the temple site but there is a long process of research and knowledge in it. Also, it is not just arranging stones to form a temple there is a process in it.
The process of restoring one Perwara Temple, Hilmar explained, took three years, preceded by research. Afterward, the physical restoration takes 10 months to a year.
Candi Prambanan
- VIVA/ Cahyo Edi/ Yogyakarta
"The budget is around IDR 2.6 billion for one Perwara Temple. This is a big job and its significance is that we can reconstruct the temple. Not only culturally and historically, but also technically," said Hilmar, Friday, February 3, 2023.
Hilmar appreciated the temple restorers under the Region X Cultural Preservation Center who worked to restore the Perwara Temple. Hilmar said the work was something extraordinary.
"This is an extraordinary job. There are stone searchers and installers. They work with their expertise that not just anyone can restore this Perwara Temple," said Hilmar.
"I highly appreciate the team of restorers because their knowledge is extraordinary. They can match actually unique stones. This is a big job and its significance is that we can reconstruct the temple," continued Hilmar.
It is known that there are 224 Perwara Temples surrounding Prambanan Temple. Currently, only six Perwara Temples have been restored. only six have been restored. Two Perwara Temples were restored during the Dutch period in 1937. The other four were restored in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2023.
PT TWC President Director, Febrina Intan stated that Prambanan Temple has been designated as world heritage No. 642 in 1991 by UNESCO with the title Prambanan Temple Compound. Prambanan Temple together with Lumbung Temple, Bubrah Temple, Sewu Temple, and Asu Temple (Ghana) compounds.
"In addition, the Prambanan Temple Complex is a national cultural heritage building established through the Decree of the Minister of Education and Culture number 157/M/1998," said Febriana.
Regarding the restoration of the Perwara Temple, Febriana revealed the feasibility study of Row I No.5 Perwara Temple which was carried out in 2019. At that time, they succeeded in collecting and anastylosis the stone components of the temple.
"The total number of stones is approximately 1,500, 70.87 percent original stones and 29.13 percent new stones," said Febriana.
Febriana said this effort was continued in 2020 with routine activities to complete stones that had not been found during the feasibility study, “The restoration work includes preparation, demolition, work in the workshop, anastylosis, reinstallation, provision of additional reinforcement, making drainage, and the completion stage," Febriana concluded.
