I was reading NatGeo one day and there was an article about the Prambanan Temple. It is the largest Hindu temple in Central Jawa and is one of the largest in South East Asia, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Out of interest, I did some more research and found out some interesting facts about this temple complex.
It was built around 850CE during the Mataram or Sanjaya dynasties. However, it was abandoned not long after completion. Restoration work on the temple complex began in 1918, and the main building was completed in 1953. It was damaged in the 2006 earthquake in Jawa.
The temple complex has hundreds of temples, and is comprised of 3 main zones. There was an outer, walled compound (now destroyed), a middle zone that contained 224 temples and an inner zone that contained eight large temples and eight smaller shrines.
The outermost zone could have been sacred gardens or could have contained training facilities for new priests. The original buildings and structures were built from organic material, and have now perished. The central zone, also known as the Pervara temples contained hundreds of identical shrines arranged in four concentric rows. These are complimentary temples built to "guard" the central, most sacred zone. Each row towards the center is slightly elevated that the previous one.
The central complex contained eight temples and eight smaller shrines. Three of the eight temples were dedicated to the trimurti: Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Keeper and Shiva the Destroyer. The temple of Shiva contains several chambers that are also dedicated to several other gods. The temples to Brahma and Vishnu each have a single temple with a statue of the related god within them. Other then the three main temples, there are three more temples dedicated to the Vahana or vehicles of these gods. The ensemble is completed by two candi apit, four candi kelir and four candi patok.
The great temple complex is surrounded by a dozen other smaller temples. During its height of glory, the Prambanan temple complex must have been a spectacular sight to behold. Sadly, it now lies in a state of relative abandonment.
It was built around 850CE during the Mataram or Sanjaya dynasties. However, it was abandoned not long after completion. Restoration work on the temple complex began in 1918, and the main building was completed in 1953. It was damaged in the 2006 earthquake in Jawa.
The temple complex has hundreds of temples, and is comprised of 3 main zones. There was an outer, walled compound (now destroyed), a middle zone that contained 224 temples and an inner zone that contained eight large temples and eight smaller shrines.
The outermost zone could have been sacred gardens or could have contained training facilities for new priests. The original buildings and structures were built from organic material, and have now perished. The central zone, also known as the Pervara temples contained hundreds of identical shrines arranged in four concentric rows. These are complimentary temples built to "guard" the central, most sacred zone. Each row towards the center is slightly elevated that the previous one.
The central complex contained eight temples and eight smaller shrines. Three of the eight temples were dedicated to the trimurti: Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Keeper and Shiva the Destroyer. The temple of Shiva contains several chambers that are also dedicated to several other gods. The temples to Brahma and Vishnu each have a single temple with a statue of the related god within them. Other then the three main temples, there are three more temples dedicated to the Vahana or vehicles of these gods. The ensemble is completed by two candi apit, four candi kelir and four candi patok.
The great temple complex is surrounded by a dozen other smaller temples. During its height of glory, the Prambanan temple complex must have been a spectacular sight to behold. Sadly, it now lies in a state of relative abandonment.
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