- Address: Bokoharjo, Prambanan, Sleman Regency, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
- Phones: +62 274 496 401
- Year of construction: 856
- Height: 47 m
- Working hours: daily, from 6:00 to 18:00
The monument of medieval architecture and culture , the Hindu temple of Prambanan is the most famous landmark in Indonesia . This complex of religious buildings, which researchers date either the end of the IX, or the beginning of the 10th century, is the largest in the country. There is Prambanan on the island of Java. In 1991, the Prambanan temple complex received the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Construction of the complex: history and legend
As the legend says, the temple was built by Prince Bandung Bondovoso for 1 day: such was his "pre-wedding mission" given to him by the bride, Princess Jongrang. The girl was not going to marry the prince, whom she considered the murderer of her father, so she put before him an impossible task.
However, the prince, who followed in one night not only to build a temple, but also to decorate it with a thousand statues, almost coped with his task. But the girl, who was not going to fulfill her promise, instructed her subjects to light fires, the light of which was to imitate the sunrise.
The deceived prince, who managed to create 999 of the 1000 statues necessary to decorate before the "false dawn", cursed his treacherous lover, and she, petrified, turned into that very missing thousandth statue. This statue can be seen today - it is in the northern part of the temple of Shiva. And the most notable (and most popular among tourists) part of the complex is her name - Lara Jongrang, which translates as "slender girl".
The architecture of the complex
Prambanan is more than two hundred temples. Many of them are destroyed as a result of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Some of these temples were restored during large-scale restoration works, which were carried out by Dutch scientists in the period from 1918 to 1953.
The main part of the complex is Lara Jongrang, three temples in the very center of Prambanan, on the upper platform. They are dedicated to the Hindu "Trimurti" - Shiva, Brahma (Brahma) and Vishnu. Three other smaller churches are dedicated to the Wahan (the mounts who are also deities, but of a lower rank) of the gods of the Trinity: the goose of Angs (Wahana of Brahma), the Nandi bull on which Shiva moved, and Garuda - the riding eagle of Vishnu. The walls of all the temples are decorated with reliefs depicting scenes from the ancient Indian epic "Ramayana".
These six main temples are surrounded by a dozen less sanctuaries dedicated to other deities. In addition, the complex houses the Buddhist temples of Seva. Interestingly, its architecture is very similar to the temple constructions of Lara Jongrang, although they belong to completely different religions and, accordingly, cultures.
Between the temples of Lara Jongrang and Seva are the ruins of the temples of Lumbun, Asu and Burach. But the Buddhist temples-Chandi Sari, Kalasan and Plosan have survived well. On the territory of the complex and now archaeological research is conducted. Researchers believe that there were about 240 temples in Prambanan territory.
How to visit the temple complex?
From Jogjakarta to Prambanan you can take a car along the Jl road. Yogya - Solo (Jalan Nasional 15). Overcome 19 kilometers, the duration of the trip is about 40 minutes.
You can get to the temple and by public transport: from the street Malioboro daily buses go to the temple route 1A of the company TransJogj. The first flight leaves at 6:00. The interval of movement is 20 minutes, the time on the road is a little longer than 30 minutes. The buses are very comfortable, they are equipped with air conditioning. For a trip it is better not to choose the morning and evening time, because during peak hours they are very busy, and you have to go standing up.
Another bus route departs from Yogyakarta from the Umbulharjo bus station. You can also go to the temple by taxi; one-way trip costs 60,000 Indonesian rupees (about $ 4.5); if you pay for the way there and back, the taxi driver will wait for his passengers for free for about an hour and a half.
Prambanan works daily from 6:00 to 18:00; Tickets are sold at the box office until 17:15. The cost of an "adult" ticket is 234,000 Indonesian rupees (about $ 18). Tickets include tea, coffee and water. For an amount of 75,000 Indonesian rupees (less than $ 6), you can hire a guide.