Indonesian Hindu Temple

Prambanan is embellished with reliefs from epic tales of Ramayana and Krishnaleela. The 47 m Hindu temple is beyond compare. A ninth century Hindu temple in Java, Indonesia, dedicated to Trimurti — Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. It is 18 km east of Yogyakarta. The temple is a World Heritage Site, can be called the biggest of Hindu temples in south-east Asia.

Since Hinduism came from India to Indonesia, the design of Prambanan is in Indian style, like the constructing techniques, architectural style, decorations, ground plan of Prambanan follows Hindu Vastu Shastra. It follows a mandala, a geometric pattern that represents a microcosm of the universe. With time, Prambanan deteriorated, a dense jungle is around now. Dutch explorer C. A. Lons reported his rediscovery of Prambanan in 1733 CE to Dutch officials. Javanese never completely forgot their histories, myths, and legends. Prambanan was completely in ruins until 1937 when the reconstruction began. Subsequent earthquakes have destructed the site, the ruins of 224 outer temples lay scattered.

Stories of Rama & Sita is depicted with the mystical Garuda, a human-bird hybrid. Garuda is the national symbol of Indonesia.
There are three temples – Vishnu, Brahma, and Siva – in the Prambanan complex, symbolizing Trimurti in the Hindu belief.
Each temple has opening in east and is adjacent to another temple that has a opening in west. Nandini for Shiva, Swan for Brahma, and Garuda for Vishnu is there along with 2 flank temples, 4 kelir temples, and 4 corner temples.

Meanwhile, the second courtyard has 224 temples. A Javanese tale is that of Rara Jonggrang, a princess attracted Bandung Bondowoso, a prince. He seek permission for marriage, but Roro Jonggrang turn down the proposal of Bandung Bondowoso, she demanded that thousand temples to be built overnight. To her surprise, the prince said that he would do as demanded.
He requested help of a horde of spirits to build the temples on a single night. When the 999 th temple was completed, all villagers light fires & pounded rice using mortars. The spirits thought that the sun had risen and ran like hell. Enraged with Rara Jonggrangs’ trickery, Bandung Bondowoso cursed her, turning the princess into a stone statue to complete his 1,000 temples.

• This statue is located within the north wing of Siva’s temple at Prambanan.

Prambanan is the biggest and a complete remain of Java`s Hindu culture, built in the middle of the 9th century AD, around 50 years later than Borobudur. It was built by king Rakai Pikatan after the return of Hindu dynasty in Java after Buddhism.
Tallest temple is for Siva in the middle, inside the main room, you will find statues of Siva, 3 rooms are there to worship Goddess Durga, Lord Ganesha and the third room is for Agastya.