Prambanan

프람바난 사원

Prambanan is a 9th-century Hindu temple compound on the island of Java in Indonesia, about 17 kilometres northeast of the city of Yogyakarta. It is dedicated to the three main Hindu gods, the Trimurti: Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver and Shiva the Destroyer. It is the largest Hindu temple site in Indonesia and the second largest in Southeast Asia after Angkor Wat.

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At a glance

Country: Indonesia
Location: Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Built: 850
Height: 47 m
Type: Religious building

Quick answers

Where is Prambanan?

Prambanan is in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

When was Prambanan built?

Prambanan was built in 850.

How tall is Prambanan?

Prambanan is about 47 m tall.

Indonesia's largest Hindu temple compound, dominated by the soaring 47 m Shiva temple.

The tallest building is the central Shiva temple, 47 metres high. The compound, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was once made up of 240 temple structures, and many of the small ones now lie in ruins. Its tall, pointed towers are typical of Hindu temple architecture.

History

The first building was finished in the mid-9th century. It was probably started by King Rakai Pikatan and inaugurated by his successor, King Lokapala. Some historians think it was built as a Hindu answer to the nearby Buddhist temples of Borobudur and Sewu, to mark the return of the Hindu Sanjaya dynasty to power in central Java. A short red-paint inscription reading 'pikatan' on part of the Shiva temple helps confirm that King Pikatan began the work. An inscription from 856 CE describes a Shiva temple compound much like Prambanan, and workers even moved a river, the Opak, to make room.

Abandoned and rediscovered

After about 80 years of use the temples were mysteriously abandoned around the middle of the 10th century. The reason is unclear; a powerful eruption of Mount Merapi in 1006 or a power struggle may have played a part. The temples collapsed in a major earthquake in the 16th century. Local people knew the ruins and told the Rara Jonggrang folktale about giants and a cursed princess to explain them. A Dutch employee wrote the first report of the ruins in 1733.

Rebuilding the temples

Rebuilding began in 1918, and proper restoration started in 1930. The main Shiva temple was completed in 1953, the Brahma temple was rebuilt from 1978 to 1987, and the Vishnu temple from 1982 to 1991. Because many stones had been stolen or reused elsewhere, the government rebuilds a shrine only if at least 75 percent of its original stone survives. The 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake damaged the compound. Since the 1960s a Ramayana ballet has been performed on full-moon nights on a stage nearby.

Fun facts

The compound originally had 240 temple structures.
The central Shiva temple is 47 metres tall.
Prambanan is the second-largest Hindu temple site in Southeast Asia, after Angkor Wat.
Builders moved the Opak River to make space for the temple.