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An Introduction to

Prambanan

Located approximately 18 km east of , Central . The UNESCO World Heritage Site named after the village of , is the largest Hindu complex in .

Built around 850 CE by the Sanjaya Kings of the Mataram Kingdom, Prambanan is dedicated to the Hindu triad expression of God as: - the creator - the preserver - the destroyer and also re-creator.

Rakai (Lord) Pikatan of the Sanjaya family ruled between 833-856 CE. A rivalry was thought to have taken place between the Hindu Sanjayas and Buddhist Sailendra families and married the daughter of the Sailendra Buddhist King Sumaratungga. The Sailendra dynasty fell into decline and Hindu expression become the dominant influence. It was believed that a ruler who died was transformed into a divine form. The towering 47m high central structure built to honor Lord Shiva is also interpreted to recognize their King as the deified self of Lord Shiva.

Characterised by its tall and pointed structures, Prambanan is typical of Indianized- architecture. The central structures are inside a large complex of individual perwara (guardian) . At the height of the Mataram kingdom, scholars estimate that hundreds of with their disciples lived near the temple compound.

Abandonment In the 930s, the royal court shifted to . While the reason for the shift remains uncertain, it was probably caused by an eruption of the volcano Merapi, located north of Prambanan, or a power struggle. This marked the beginning of the temple's decline. It was soon abandoned and began to deteriorate. The temples themselves collapsed during a major earthquake in the 16th century. Although the temple ceased to be an important place of worship, the ruins scattered around the area itself were still recognizable to local Javanese along with various legends.

Shiva Temple The holiest, tallest and largest structure at Prambanan, measures 47 meters tall and 34 meters wide. This Shiva temple encircled with bas-reliefs tells the story of the carved on the inner walls of the balustrades. To follow the story accordingly, visitors must enter from the east side and begin to circumambulate clockwise. The bas-reliefs of the Ramayana continue to the Brahma temple galleries.

The Shiva shrine contains five chambers, four small chambers in every cardinal direction and one bigger main chamber in central part of the temple. The east chamber connects to the central chamber which houses a three meter high statue of Shiva.

The statue bears symbols of Shiva such as the skull and crescent at the crown, the third eye on the forehead, also four hands that holds Shiva's symbols: prayer beads, a feather duster, and a trisula (trident). The statue of Shiva stands on a lotus pad on a pedestal that bears the carving of Nāga serpents on the north side of the pedestal.

The other three smaller chambers contain statues of Hindu Gods related to Shiva: - great sage of the , in the south chamber - Shiva’s son, in the west chamber - Shiva’s consort, in the north chamber, also called (Javanese: slender virgin), after the Javanese legend of the Princess Roro Jonggrang.

Brahma and Vishnu Temples

The two other main shrines measuring 20 meters wide and 33 meters tall are dedicated to: Brahma on the south side of the Shiva shrine. Vishnu on the north side of the Shiva shrine Both temples face east and each contain only one large chamber, each dedicated to their respected gods.

The bas-reliefs along the balustrades of the Shiva and Brahma temples tell of the Ramayana legend, illustrating how , the wife of , is abducted by the evil King Rahwana. The monkey king Hanoman brings his army to help Rama rescue Sita.

On the balsutrades of the Vishnu temple the bas-reliefs depict the story of Vishnu’s human incarnation as Lord .

Vahana (Vehicle) Temples The three shrines directly in front of the three main temples are dedicated to vehicles () of the respective gods:

Nandi – the bull for Shiva, –the sacred for Brahma, and - Vishnu's Eagle

At the temple, besides containing a statue of Nandi, there are also statues of: the god of the moon and the god of the sun. Chandra stands on his carriage pulled by 10 horses Surya is standing on a carriage pulled by 7 horses.

Facing the Brahma temple, the Hamsa temple contains no statue now. But it seems likely that there was once a statue of the sacred swan or Angsa ( a goose, but a swan sounds more romantic)

Facing the Vishnu temple, the temple dedicated for Garuda is also empty of a statue. Vishnu’s vehicle Garuda holds an important role these days serving as the national symbol of Indonesia- in an Islamic state.

The Garuda clutches a scroll bearing the words: . Taken from the 14th century Javanese poem, Sutasoma, the national moto today refers to .

There are many stories and fables of Garuda in Java, Bali and . The bas-reliefs of the Ramayana also depict Garuda’s nephew, another bird-god named , trying to rescue Sita. In there is the story of Garuda subduing the Naga serpent which became a guardian spirit of Buddhist temples. This Majestic King of Birds is a symbol of power, bravery, loyalty and along with Vishnu, the preserver of the cosmic order.

Garuda Indonesia is also the national airline.

A Balinese wood carving depicting Vishnu riding on Garuda.

The Prambanan temple complex consists of 3 zones:

The inner zone: the holiest, contains the main temples and eight smaller shrines.

The middle zone contains hundreds of small guardian (perwara) temples.

The outer zone: a large space marked by a rectangular wall (destroyed). The original function is unknown. Possibilities are that it was a sacred park, or a . The supporting buildings for the temple complex were made from organic material; as a consequence no remains occur.

Pervara (Guradian) Temples

Four rows of 224 individual small shrines were found in the middle zone. Most of them are still in ruins and only some have been reconstructed. These concentric rows of temples were made in identical design. Each row towards the center is slightly elevated. These "Candi Perwara" guardian temples were believed to have had something to do with four , made according to the rank of the people allowed to enter them. The row nearest to the central compound was accessible to priests only, the other three rows were reserved for nobles, knights, and the common people respectively. Another belief is that the four rows of Perwara had nothing to do with four castes, they were simply places for meditation and worship for priests and devotees.

Hindu

Prambanan was designed to represent Meru, the holy mountain and abode of Lord Shiva. The temple design incorporates a concept - a model of the Hindu universe according to and the layers of .

Just like , Prambanan recognizes the hierarchy of realms spanning from the less holy to the holiest.

Bhurloka (in Buddhism: Kāmadhātu), the lowest realm of common mortals; humans, animals as well as demons. This is where humans are still binded by their lust, desire and unholy way of life. The outer courtyard and the foot (base) of each temple symbolizes the realm of bhurloka.

Bhuvarloka (in Buddhism: Rupadhatu), the middle realm of holy people, , ascetics, and lesser gods. People here began to see the light of truth. The middle courtyard and the body of each temple symbolizes the realm of bhuvarloka.

Svarloka (in Buddhism: Arupadhatu), the highest and holiest realm of the gods. The inner chamber and the roof of each temple symbolizes the realm of svarloka. The roofs of the Prambanan temples are adorned and crowned with ratna ( for jewel). The ratna is the Hindu counterpart of the Buddhist , and served as the temple's pinnacle.

The Legend of Roro (or Lara) Jonggrang

The popular legend tells the story of Prince Bandung Bondowoso who fell in love with Princess Roro Jonggrang, the daughter of King Boko. Palace was located on top of a hill above Prambanan. King Boto was known to be an evil King and wishing to expand his empire, King Boko attacked the neighboring prosperous kingdom of Pengging. Prince Bandung Bondowoso of Pengging staged a revenge attack and managed to kill King Boko with his supernatural powers. Struck by the beauty of King Boko’s daughter, he proposed marriage which the princess rejected. Bandung Bondowoso insisted on the union, and finally Roro Jonggrang was forced to agree, but she posed two conditions: First, that he build her a deep water well, which he did. The princess asked Bondowoso to climb down the well after which she ordered her assistants to fill the well with stones. Bondowoso managed to free himself from the well. Still taken by the beauty of the princess, he forgave her. The second condition was that Bondowoso build her 1000 temples in only one night.

The Prince entered into meditation and conjured up a multitude of spirits from the earth. Helped by these supernatural beings, he succeeded in building 999 temples. When the prince was about to complete the condition, the princess woke her palace maids and ordered the women of the village to begin pounding rice and to set a fire in the east of the temple, attempting to make the prince and the spirits believe that the sun was about to rise. As the cocks began to crow, fooled by the light and the sounds of morning time, the supernatural helpers fled back into the earth. The prince was furious about the trick and in revenge he cursed Roro Jonggrang to stone. She became the last and the most beautiful of the thousand statues. According to the legend, the unfinished thousandth temple created by the spirits became the temple compound nearby. (Sewu means "thousands" in Javanese)

The Princess is the image of Durga in the north cell of the Shiva temple at Prambanan. Slayer of the Bull demon, she is also known as Roro Jonggrang or Slender Virgin.

Another temple well worth visiting is Candi . This is the temple built by Hindu Rakai Pikatan following the union in marriage of , daughter of the Sailendra Buddhist King. Along with Hindu elements there are carvings depicting the Boddhisatva Avaloketisvara and . With this union, it is said that Rakai Pikatan wished for his dynasty to rule for a long time. Could this perhaps be the basis of the Legend of Roro Jonggrang?

Rediscovery In 1811 during Britain’s short-lived rule of the , Collin Mackenzie, a surveyor in the service of Sir Thomas , came upon the temples by chance. Although Sir Thomas subsequently commissioned a full survey of the ruins, they remained neglected for decades, with Dutch residents carting off sculptures as garden ornaments and native villagers using the foundation stones for construction material. Reconstruction of the compound began in 1918, and proper restoration only in 1930. Efforts at restoration continue to this day. The main building was completed around 1953. Since much of the original stonework has been stolen or reused at remote construction sites, restoration has been hampered since a temple can be rebuilt only if at least 75% of the original masonry is available. Only the foundations of most of the smaller shrines are now visible with no plans for their reconstruction.

Revival Since becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991, Prambanan has become one of the major archaeological and cultural tourism attractions in Indonesia. The religious significance of Prambanan has been revived due to Balinese and Javanese Hindu communities in Yogyakarta and . A stunning dance performance of the is performed at an open-air stage at Prambanan on certain Full Moon nights.

Prambanan was again damaged during the May 2006 Java earthquake. Although the complex was structurally intact, the damage was significant. Large pieces of debris, including carvings, were scattered over the ground. Some weeks after the earthquake in 2006 the site was re-opened for visitors, but some of the temples remain off-limits for safety reasons.

Other temples around Prambanan Discoveries of archaeological sites scattered only a few miles away suggests this area was an important religious, political, and urban center.

North of Prambanan: Candi . Buddhist-style, consisting of 1 main temple surrounded by 16 smaller ones. Candi . still in ruins. Candi Sewu. Buddhist temple complex. A main sanctuary surrounded by many smaller temples. Well preserved guardian statues, replicas of which stand in the central courtyard at the . Candi Morangan. Hindu temple buried several meters under volcanic ash

Candi Plaosan. built during 9th century following the union in marriage of Hindu King Pikatan and Pramodhawardhani, daughter of Sailendra Buddhist King. 2 main temples with a guardian statue of Dwarpala. Reliefs depict Boddhisatva Avaloketisvara and Tara.

South of Prambanan: Ratu Boko. Complex of fortified gates, bathing pools, and elevated walled stone enclosure. Located on top of a hill overlooking Prambanan. Candi Sajiwan. Buddhist temple decorated with reliefs concerning education. The base and staircase are decorated with animal fables. Candi . A Buddhist temple with a unique roof design. Candi Barong. A Hindu temple complex with a large stepped stone courtyard. Located on the slope of the hill.

Candi Ijo. A cluster of Hindu temples located near the top of Ijo hill. The main temple houses a large and Yoni. Arca Bugisan. Seven Buddha and statues, some collapsed, representing different poses and expressions.

West of Prambanan: Candi . 8th century Buddhist temple built in commemoration of the marriage of a king and his princess bride, ornamented with finely carved reliefs. Candi . Once a sanctuary for Buddhist priests. 8th century. Nine at the top with two rooms beneath, each believed to be places for priests to meditate.

Candi . 9th century Hindu temple discovered in 1966, once buried 6.5 metres under volcanic ash. The main temple houses a linga and yoni, and the wall surrounding it displays the images of Agastya, Durga, and Ganesha. Candi . A small Hindu temple discovered in 1937 located near the Yogyakarta northern ring-road. The temple displays the statue of Ganesha and interesting carvings of faces on the roof section. Candi . Rich in statues, bas-reliefs and sculpted stones. Frequent representations of children or dwarfs with raised hands. Located in the middle of housing complex. Under restoration since 1997.

Candi . Discovered in 1994 by sand diggers, 4m deep. The square base of the main temple is visible. Secondary temples not yet fully excavated.