Prambanan
9th-century Hindu temple compound in Java, Indonesia.
Prambanan (Indonesian: Candi Prambanan, Javanese: Rara Jonggrang) is a 9th-century Hindu temple compound in the Special Region of Yogyakarta, southern Java, Indonesia. Dedicated to the Trimūrti (Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva), it is the largest Hindu temple site in Indonesia and the second-largest in Southeast Asia after Angkor Wat. The compound, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is noted for its tall, pointed architecture and a central 47-metre-high building within a complex originally comprising 240 temple structures.
Quick Facts
- Location
- Bokoharjo, Prambanan, Sleman Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta and Prambanan, Klaten Regency, Central Java, Indonesia
- Built
- Originally built in 850 CE during the reign of the Hindu Sanjaya dynasty
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The construction of Prambanan was likely started by Rakai Pikatan and continued by his successor King Lokapala. Some historians suggest it was built as the Hindu Sanjaya dynasty's response to the Buddhist Sailendra dynasty's Borobudur and Sewu temples, marking a return to Hindu power in Central Java. The Shivagrha inscription of 856 CE, issued by King Lokapala, describes a Shiva temple compound that some scholars associate with Prambanan, though the identification remains debated. The temple was expanded by King Lokapala and Balitung Maha Sambu, and later by kings Daksa and Tulodong, who added hundreds of pervara (ancillary) temples. Some archaeologists propose the Shiva statue in the main temple was modelled after King Balitung as his deified self.
Reader's Guide
Prambanan served as the royal temple of the Kingdom of Mataram, where state religious ceremonies and sacrifices were conducted. At its height, hundreds of brahmins and their disciples lived within the outer wall. The temple was abandoned near the mid-10th century, possibly due to the shift of the Javanese court to East Java by Mpu Sindok, the devastating 1006 eruption of Mount Merapi, or a power struggle. It collapsed during a major earthquake in the 16th century. The ruins inspired the local Rara Jonggrang folktale. Rediscovered in 1733 by Cornelis Antonie Lons, the site attracted international attention in the early 19th century. Reconstruction began in 1918, with proper restoration starting in 1930 using anastylosis. The main Shiva temple was completed in 1953 and inaugurated by Indonesia's first president Sukarno. The Brahma temple was reconstructed between 1978 and 1987, and the Vishnu temple was rebuilt thereafter.
Did You Know?
- The temple compound originally consisted of 240 temple structures.
- The central building is 47 metres (154 ft) high.
- The Shivagrha inscription of 856 CE may refer to a Shiva temple, but its identification with Prambanan is debated.
- There is no established historical or archaeological evidence that the Opak River was diverted to protect the temple from lahar flows.
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