PRAMBANAN TEMPLE

Prambanan Temple or Temple of Rara Jonggrang is the largest Hindu temple complex in Indonesia was built in the 9th century BC. The temple is dedicated to Trimurti, the three major Hindu gods Brahma as the creator god, the god Vishnu as the maintainer, and Shiva the god of destruction. Based on the inscriptions Siwagrha the original name of this temple complex is Siwagrha (Sanskrit word which means: 'The house of Shiva'), and indeed in garbagriha (main hall) of this temple dwell Mahadeva Shiva statue as high as three meters which showed that the god Shiva in this temple are preferred.

Candi Prambanan memiliki 3 candi utama di halaman utama, yaitu Candi Wisnu, Brahma, dan Siwa. Ketiga candi tersebut adalah lambang Trimurti dalam kepercayaan Hindu. Ketiga candi itu menghadap ke timur. Setiap candi utama memiliki satu candi pendamping yang menghadap ke barat, yaitu Nandini untuk Siwa, Angsa untuk Brahma, dan Garuda untuk Wisnu. Selain itu, masih terdapat 2 candi apit, 4 candi kelir, dan 4 candi sudut. Sementara, halaman kedua memiliki 224 candi.

This temple is situated in the village of Prambanan, Java, about 20 kilometers east of Yogyakarta, 40 kilometers west of Surakarta and 120 kilometers south of Manila, just on the border between the provinces of Central Java and Yogyakarta. Rara Jonggrang temple Prambanan located in the village whose territory is divided between Lahore and Klaten district.

This temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site including, the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia, and one of the most beautiful temples in Southeast Asia. The architecture is tall and slender form in accordance with Hindu architecture in general with the main Shiva temple as the temple reaches a height of 47 meters in the center of the complex cluster of towering temples smaller. As one of the grandest temples in Southeast Asia, Prambanan temple is the main attraction of tourists from around the world.

According Siwagrha inscriptions, this temple was built in about the year 850 AD by the Rakai Pikatan, and was further developed and expanded by Balitung Maha Sambu, during Medang Mataram kingdom.