 As the largest Hindu temple in Southeast Asia, the beautiful and
graceful temple of Prambanan is a magnificent spectacle and an icon of
Indonesia’s cultural heritage.
Located not far from the Buddhist
Borobudur temple, the proximity of the two temples tells us that on
Java, Buddhism and Hinduism lived peacefully next to one another.
Prambanan
is known locally as Roro Jonggrang, coming from the legend of the
‘slender virgin’. According to the legend once upon a time, there was a
young and powerful man named Bandung Bondowoso. He wanted to marry a
beautiful princess named Roro Jonggrang. Her father, the king, agreed
and forced her to marry Bandung Bondowoso. Butm Sita did not love him
yet could not refuse him.
After careful consideration, she
thought of a way to refuse Bondowoso, whose magical power was
well-known. She decided she would agree but only if Bondowoso built
1,000 temples in one night before the break of dawn.
She insisted
that the work must be completed before the rooster crowed, something
she believed was impossible. But with the help of genies and his own
magical powers, Bondowoso managed to complete 999 temples. Panicked,
Jonggrang told the women of her village to start pounding rice so that
the rooster would wake up and begin to crow. When Bondowoso heard this
he was deeply disappointed and wildly enraged. When he found out that
Roro Jonggrang had made the roosters crow, he turned her into stone, The
statue of a slender virgin graces the main Prambanan temple, while a
group of temples nearby is called the Candi Sewu or the Thousand
Temples.
The temples at Prambanan were built in the 9th century.
The biggest temple is dedicated to Shiva – the destroyer, and the two
smaller ones which sit on its right and left are dedicated to Brahma -¬
the creator and Wisnhu – the sustainer. The tallest temple of Prambanan
is a staggering 47 meters high. Its peak visible from far away and
rises high above the ruins of the other temples.
After hundreds
of years of neglect, the Prambanan temple was rediscovered by CA Lons, a
Dutchman, in 1733. Since then, this temple has been revitalized and
today is widely regarded as the most beautiful and graceful Hindu temple
in Indonesia.
The grandeur, complexity, and integrated
architectural concept of Prambanan makes this a truly amazing structure.
As a unique cultural and architectural marvel, Prambanan was declared a
World Heritage site in 1991 by UNESCO.
To Do
The
relief’s inside the temple show the epic story of Ramayana. Inside,
there are also historical items such as the Lingga Batara Siwa stone, a
symbol of fertility.
From May to October at full moon, the
classic Javanese Ramayana ballet or dance drama (hyperlink) is
performed by more than 250 dancers in an outdoor open stage with as its
backdrop the full moon dramatically rising over the temples.
The
epic Ramayana tells the story of Prince Rama and his wife Sita who are
wandering in the forest. When Rama sees a golden deer he chases it, but
not before drawing a circle around Sita. He tells her not to step out of
the circle to stay safe. The king of ogres Rahwana lures Sita out of
the circle, abducts her and carries her to his kingdom, Alengka.
The
grief stricken Rama is assisted by the monkey king, Hanuman., who finds
Sita in Rahwana’s palace. He burns Alengka and Sita is saved and
restored to her husband.
While you are here you will want to
snap as many photos as you can. The ticket you purchase to enter
Prambanan is valid for a whole day meaning you can exit and re-enter the
sites as many times as you wish. This is the same for tickets purchased
for Borobudur temple. For photographers this means you can take
pictures of the site at different times of the day.
Getting Around
Visitors
to Prambanan wander around the temples on foot. This is the best way to
enjoy the lush landscape and take in the detailed architecture and
design of the temples up close.
This temple compound covers 39.8
hectares. In the main yard, there are the three main temples, as well as
three Wahana temples, two Apit temples, and eight Patok temples
surrounded by fences. In the second yard, there are another 224 Perwara
temples. Wandering around here and examining the intricate stonework
will be enough to keep you busy all day!
Compared to the temples
in Angkor Wat, the temples of Prambanan are much easier to navigate and
more tourist-friendly. The area surrounding Prambanan is developed, with
a landscaped park and stores selling tourist souvenirs. While it’s not a
temple set in a remote rustic setting, the splendor of the temple will
make you quickly forget your surroundings. You will be transported back
to an ancient time where ritual and culture dominated every part of
life.
Getting There
The closest cities to
Prambanan, are either Yogyakarta (insert hyperlink) or Semarang. Garuda
Indonesia, Mandala, Merpati Nusantara Airlines and a number of domestic
airlines fly to these cities from Jakarta and other large cities in
Indonesia. AirAsia is the first international airline that flies direct
from Kuala Lumpur to Yogyakarta.
From Yogyakarta, you can rent a car to go to Klaten. From there, you can walk to the temple.
If
have been busy and are really tired of walking, you can always call for
a becak. With the cost of about Rp10,000 the Becak driver will bring
you rig
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