The Prambanan Complex
Note: On 27 May 2006, a powerful earthquake struck the area around Yogyakarta, damaging many structures, including the Prambanan. Many of the large carved lotus blossoms that decorate the edges of the towers fell down, and a few of the towers came close to toppling entirely. As a result, the inner sanctuary of the temple has been closed to the public, due to the danger of falling debris. As of April 2007, restoration teams had managed to clear a path just inside the wall. The close-up pictures shown here and in the Prambanan photo gallery were taken before the quake, and many of the subjects can no longer be viewed by visitors.
The 1,000-year old temple complex of Prambanan.
Just about 10 miles outside of Yogyakarta in central Java is the temple complex of Prambanan. This huge complex of Hindu temples was constructed between the 8th and 10th centuries. The remains of 244 temples have been identified in the complex, making it easily the largest Hindu temple complex on Java. The temples fell into disuse when the kings of Java moved their capital to the East, and then many were destroyed by earthquakes. By the middle of the last century it was just a collection of rock piles from which locals would scavenge building materials. It was reconstructed over the last 50 years as Indonesia rediscovered its cultural heritage.
Although the entire complex technically covers several square miles, most tourists just visit the central compound (pictured), which contains eight large temples along with eight smaller ones. Each of the individual temples has the same basic design. They vary in size and decoration, according to which individual Hindu deity the temple was dedicated to.
Carved panel of the gallery on the main temple.
The largest and most ornate temple of the group is, of course, dedicated to the central Hindu god Shiva. It's called the Candi Shiva Mahadeva. Many consider it to be one of the most outstanding examples of Hindu art. From the square base, the spire reaches up 150 feet into the sky.
Statue of Ganesh within the main temple.
A short flight of stairs brings you to a gallery which encircles the temple. The inner wall of the gallery is carved with scenes from the Ramayana, one of the two main epics that make up the Hindu religion and also the subject of the Kecak dance on Bali. Actually, the gallery only tells a little more than half the story. Its concluded on the smaller Candi Brahma temple next to Candi Shiva Mahadeva.
In the middle of each side, facing the four cardinal directions, a further flight of stairs leads up to a chamber containing a statue. Each chamber contains a statue depicting some aspect of Shiva. Shiva himself is depicted in the main chamber, which faces east. Agastya, Shiva as teacher, faces South; Ganesh, the elephant-headed son of Shiva faces West; and in the North is Shiva's consort Durga, who can be seen killing the demon buffalo.
Admission Fee
Admission to the Prambanan complex is US$10. Like Borobodur, it's one of the most popular tourist destinations on Java, so don't expect to have the place to yourself.
Photo Gallery
For more pictures of the Prambanan Complex, taken before the May 2006 earthquake, see our online photo gallery. More recent photos of Prambanan from April 2007 can be seen at my Chieng Fa Travel Journal.
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