Prambanan is a 9th century Hindu temple compound with
a 47metre high (154 feet) central building inside a large complex of individual
temples. There were once 240 temples in this temple complex. Today only
eight main temples and eight small shrines in the inner zone have
been reconstructed, but only two out of the original 224 pervara temples have
been renovated. The majority of them have deteriorated; what is left being
scattered stones. The Prambanan temple complex consists of three zones; first
the outer zone, second the middle zone that contains hundreds of small temples,
and third the holiest inner zone that contains eight main temples and eight
small shrines.
I did not find this temple very interesting as the temples in the main complex all seemed to look the same. In this temple there were a many groups of students, with the teachers, who wanted to practise their English. I think that every foreign tourist had students with them most of the time.
LUMBUNG TEMPLE
It remains uncertain whether Lumbung is the temple’s real name or it is so called by the community around temple because its shape looks like a rice barn. The sacred Buddhist building is a cluster of temples consisting of 17 buildings, with the main temple placed in the centre surrounded by 16 ancillary shrines. Blocks of andesite cover the temple’s court.
The main temple, which is in ruined condition, is a polygon of 20 sides on a 350 m2 wide plan. The body of the temple stands about 2.5 m high on a stone base. The stair and entrance door are situated on the east side. The entrance door has a corbelled roof and tunnel to go into the temple’s interior. The outer side of the wall is adorned with finely carved sculptures of man and woman that resemble true human beings. The wall of the entrance door carries the sculptures of Kuwera and Hanti.
There are three niches in which to place Dhyani Buddha statue on each of the north, west and south walls. But the nine niches were found empty. The main temple’s roof, which is in ruined condition and estimated to be in the form of stupa, resembles that of ancillary temple. The main temple’s court is surrounded by crumbled walls.
The 16 ancillary temples are placed around and facing the main temple. The wall of the temple is plain without any decorations. On the east and right in front of the door, there is a stairway with stone railings. On top of the door’s frame, there is a sculpture of Kalamakara without lower jaw in high relief.
SEWU TEMPLE
Sewu Temple was probably built in the 8th century and was probably expanded and completed during Rakai Pikatan's rule, a prince whom married to a Buddhist princess. The proximity of the temple to Prambanan Temple, which is a Hindu Temple, suggests that the Hindus and Buddhist lived in harmony in the era that the temples were built. The scale of the temple complex suggests Sewu was a Royal Buddhist Temple and was an important religious site of the past.
The entrance is found on all four cardinal points, however judging from the layout of the temple complex, the main entrance is located on the east side. Each of the entrances were guarded by twin Dvarapala statues. There are a total of 249 buildings in the complex arranged around the central main hall as an expression of the view of the universe of Mahayana Buddhism. The smaller temples are called Perwara (guardian) temples consisting of 240 temples with similar design and arranged in four rectangular concentric rows. Two outer rows are arranged closer and consists of 168 smaller temples, while two inner rows are arranged in certain interval and consist of 72 temples. The 249 temples that are located in the second precinct all were made with a square frame but varied by different statues and orientations. Many of these statues are now gone and the arrangements on the current site are not in the original orientations.
The temple was severely damaged during the earthquake in 2006. The structural damage was significant and the central temple suffered the worst. Large pieces of debris were scattered over the ground and cracks between stone blocks were detected. Most of the area is closed to visitors while repairs are being made.
This is the one temple on the complex that I really liked as it had a well used feeling to it and was alive, a strange thing to say, I know. Maybe it helped that I was the only person there. It was about one kilometre from the main complex and it may have been that people did not want to walk that far. It was the best of the complex as far as i was concerned.
I did not find this temple very interesting as the temples in the main complex all seemed to look the same. In this temple there were a many groups of students, with the teachers, who wanted to practise their English. I think that every foreign tourist had students with them most of the time.
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| Looking towards the temple stupa |
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| A stone relief with others below |
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| A gargoyle water spout |
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| A happy man |
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| A group of students, always mostly girls. |
LUMBUNG TEMPLE
It remains uncertain whether Lumbung is the temple’s real name or it is so called by the community around temple because its shape looks like a rice barn. The sacred Buddhist building is a cluster of temples consisting of 17 buildings, with the main temple placed in the centre surrounded by 16 ancillary shrines. Blocks of andesite cover the temple’s court.
The main temple, which is in ruined condition, is a polygon of 20 sides on a 350 m2 wide plan. The body of the temple stands about 2.5 m high on a stone base. The stair and entrance door are situated on the east side. The entrance door has a corbelled roof and tunnel to go into the temple’s interior. The outer side of the wall is adorned with finely carved sculptures of man and woman that resemble true human beings. The wall of the entrance door carries the sculptures of Kuwera and Hanti.
There are three niches in which to place Dhyani Buddha statue on each of the north, west and south walls. But the nine niches were found empty. The main temple’s roof, which is in ruined condition and estimated to be in the form of stupa, resembles that of ancillary temple. The main temple’s court is surrounded by crumbled walls.
The 16 ancillary temples are placed around and facing the main temple. The wall of the temple is plain without any decorations. On the east and right in front of the door, there is a stairway with stone railings. On top of the door’s frame, there is a sculpture of Kalamakara without lower jaw in high relief.
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| The main temple with no statues inside |
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| Empty niches which have a lot of feeling to me |
SEWU TEMPLE
Sewu Temple was probably built in the 8th century and was probably expanded and completed during Rakai Pikatan's rule, a prince whom married to a Buddhist princess. The proximity of the temple to Prambanan Temple, which is a Hindu Temple, suggests that the Hindus and Buddhist lived in harmony in the era that the temples were built. The scale of the temple complex suggests Sewu was a Royal Buddhist Temple and was an important religious site of the past.
The entrance is found on all four cardinal points, however judging from the layout of the temple complex, the main entrance is located on the east side. Each of the entrances were guarded by twin Dvarapala statues. There are a total of 249 buildings in the complex arranged around the central main hall as an expression of the view of the universe of Mahayana Buddhism. The smaller temples are called Perwara (guardian) temples consisting of 240 temples with similar design and arranged in four rectangular concentric rows. Two outer rows are arranged closer and consists of 168 smaller temples, while two inner rows are arranged in certain interval and consist of 72 temples. The 249 temples that are located in the second precinct all were made with a square frame but varied by different statues and orientations. Many of these statues are now gone and the arrangements on the current site are not in the original orientations.
The temple was severely damaged during the earthquake in 2006. The structural damage was significant and the central temple suffered the worst. Large pieces of debris were scattered over the ground and cracks between stone blocks were detected. Most of the area is closed to visitors while repairs are being made.
This is the one temple on the complex that I really liked as it had a well used feeling to it and was alive, a strange thing to say, I know. Maybe it helped that I was the only person there. It was about one kilometre from the main complex and it may have been that people did not want to walk that far. It was the best of the complex as far as i was concerned.
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| A general view of the area |
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One of the entrances
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| The walkway inside the temple |
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| Looking from the temple to the entrance |
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| A view from the temple |
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| The damaged temple area |
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| The damaged temple area |
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| A surrounding temple |
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| A surrounding temple |
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