Prambanan 

               

Location : Bokoharjo , Indonesia 

Built by : Rakai pikatan of sanjaya dynasty and expanded by other kings of sanjaya dynasty

Coordinates : 7° 45′ 8″ S,  110° 29′ 30″ E 

Construction :       

                 Prambanan or Rara Jonggrang  is a 9th-century Hindu temple located in  Indonesia , dedicated to the Trimurti, the creator god  Brahma , the Preserver Vishnu  and the Transformer Shiva . This temple was built during the time of Rakai pikatan of Sanjaya dynasty hoping to return their glory and  power in central java against the Buddhist Sailendra Dynasty.It was later expanded by king Lokapala and Balitung maha sambu the Sanjaya king of the Mataram kingdom.

   Prambanan is the largest hindu temple in indonesia and one of the largest temples in south-east asia.

   Prambanan Temple Compounds consist of Prambanan Temple , Sewu Temple, Bubrah Temple and Lumbung Temple. It was built mainly  to honor the lord shiva ,so it was also called as Shiva-grha or shiva-laya.

   Prambanan Temple itself is a complex consisting of 240 temples.These compounds are located on the border between the two provinces of Yogyakarta and Central Java on Java Island.

Abandonment and Rediscovery :

   In the 930s, after shifting the court to east java by Mpu Sindok the temple lost its glory gradually.It was soon abandoned and began to deteriorate.

The Javanese locals in the surrounding villages knew about the temple ruins before formal rediscovery, but they did not know about its historical background of it. As a result, the locals developed tales and legends,infused with myths of giants and a cursed princess.

In 1811 during British short-lived occupation of the Dutch East Indies , Colin Mackenzie, a surveyor in the service of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, came upon the temples by chance. Although Sir Thomas subsequently commissioned a full survey of the ruins, they remained neglected for decades.

 In 1918, the Dutch began reconstruction of the compound and proper restoration only in 1930.  the Dutch began reconstruction of the compound and proper restoration only in 1930.The temple regained its glory and grabbed international attention early in the 19th century.

Temples Components :

                               

Prambanan consists of total 240 components out of which are 

3 trimurti temples (shiva,brahma and vishnu),

3 vahana temples( Nandi, Garuda and Hamsa),

2 Apit temples,

4 kelir temples,

4 Patok temples and 

224 Pervara temples.

Map :

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