This Temple Website sponsored by Mr. Anoop Singh, HSFC, Dwarka, New Delhi-110075.
Phone Numbers- 70117104088, 9136362391
Introduction and History in Brief
Prambanan or Rara Jonggrang is an 8th-century Hindu temple compound in Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, dedicated to the Trimūrti, the expression of God as the Creator (Brahma), the Preserver (Vishnu) and the Destroyer (Shiva). The temple compound is located approximately 17 kilometres (11 mi) northeast of the city of Yogyakarta on the boundary between Central Java and Yogyakarta provinces.
The popular legend of Rara Jonggrang is what connects the site of the Ratu Boko Palace, the origin of the Durga statue in the northern cell/chamber of the main shrine, and the origin of the Sewu temple complex nearby. The legend tells the story about Prince Bandung Bondowoso, who fell in love with Princess Rara Jonggrang, the daughter of King Boko. But the princess rejected his proposal of marriage because Bandung Bondowoso had killed King Boko and ruled her kingdom. Bandung Bondowoso insisted on the union, and finally Rara Jonggrang was forced to agree to a union in marriage, but she posed one impossible condition: Bandung must build her a thousand temples in only one night.
The Prince entered into meditation and conjured up a multitude of supernatural beings from the earth. Helped by these spirits, he succeeded in building 999 temples. When the prince was about to complete the condition, the princess woke her palace maids and ordered the women of the village to begin pounding rice and set a fire in the east of the temple, attempting to make the prince and the spirits believe that the sun was about to rise. As the cocks began to crow, fooled by the light and the sounds of daybreak, the supernatural helpers fled back into the ground. The prince was furious about the trick and in revenge he cursed Rara Jonggrang, turning her to stone. She became the last and the most beautiful of the thousand statues. According to the traditions, the unfinished thousandth temple created by the demons become the Sewu temple compounds nearby (Sewu means “thousands” in Javanese), and the Princess is the image of Durga in the north cell of the Shiva temple at Prambanan, which is still known as Rara Jonggrang or “Slender Maiden”.
The temple compound, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the largest Hindu temple site in Indonesia and the second-largest in Southeast Asia after Angkor Wat.[1] It is characterized by its tall and pointed architecture, typical of Hindu architecture, and by the towering 47-metre-high (154 ft) central building inside a large complex of individual temples.[2] Prambanan temple compounds originally consists of 240 temple structures; which represents the grandeur of ancient Java’s Hindu art and architecture, also considered as a masterpiece of the classical period in Indonesia. Prambanan attracts many visitors from around the world.
The Prambanan temple is the largest Hindu temple of ancient Java, and the first building was completed in the mid-9th century. It was likely started by Rakai Pikatan and inaugurated by his successor King Lokapala. Some historians that adhere to dual dynasty theory; suggest that the construction of Prambanan probably was meant as the Hindu Sanjaya Dynasty’s answer to the Buddhist Sailendra Dynasty’s Borobudur and Sewu temples nearby. Which means to mark the return of the Hindu Sanjaya Dynasty to power in Central Java after almost a century of Buddhist Sailendra Dynasty domination. Nevertheless, the construction of this massive Hindu temple did signifies a shift of the Medang court’s patronage; from Mahayana Buddhism to Shaivite Hinduism.
A temple was first built at the site around 850 CE by Rakai Pikatan and expanded extensively by King Lokapala and Balitung Maha Sambu the Sanjaya king of the Mataram Kingdom. A short red-paint script bearing the name “pikatan” was found on one of the finials on top of the balustrade of Shiva temple, which confirms that King Pikatan was responsible for the initiation of the temple construction.[5]:22
The temple complex is linked to the Shivagrha inscription of 856 CE, issued by King Lokapala, which described a Shiva temple compound that resembles Prambanan. According to this inscription the Shiva temple was inaugurated on 12 November 856.[5]:20 According to this inscription, the temple was built to honor Lord Shiva, and its original name was Shiva-grha (the House of Shiva) or Shiva-laya (the Realm of Shiva).[6]
According to the Shivagrha inscription, a public water project to change the course of a river near Shivagrha temple was undertaken during the construction of the temple. The river, identified as the Opak River, now runs north to south on the western side of the Prambanan temple compound. Historians suggest that originally the river was curved further to east and was deemed too near to the main temple. Experts suggest that the shift of the river was meant to secure the temple complex from the overflowing of lahar volcanic materials from Merapi volcano.[7] The project was done by cutting the river along a north to south axis along the outer wall of the Shivagrha Temple compound. The former river course was filled in and made level to create a wider space for the temple expansion, the space for rows of pervara (complementary) temples.
The statue of Shiva Mahadeva inside the garbagriha of the main temple.
Some archaeologists propose that the statue of Shiva in the garbhagriha (central chamber) of the main temple was modelled after King Balitung, serving as a depiction of his deified self after death.[8] The temple compound was expanded by successive Mataram kings, such as Daksa and Tulodong, with the addition of hundreds of perwara temples around the chief temple.
With main prasada tower soaring up to 47 metres high, a vast walled temple complex consists of 240 structures, Shivagrha Trimurti temple was the tallest and the grandest of its time.[1] Indeed the temple complex is the largest Hindu temple in ancient Java, with no other Javanese temples ever surpassed its scale. Prambanan served as the royal temple of the Kingdom of Mataram, with most of the state’s religious ceremonies and sacrifices being conducted there. At the height of the kingdom, scholars estimate that hundreds of brahmins with their disciples lived within the outer wall of the temple compound. The urban center and the court of Mataram were located nearby, somewhere in the Prambanan Plain.
After being used and expanded for about 80 years, the temple were mysteriously abandoned near the half of the 10th century. In the 930s, the Javanese court was shifted to East Java by Mpu Sindok, who established the Isyana Dynasty. It was not clear however, the true reason behind the abandonment of Central Java realm by this Javanese kingdom. A devastating eruption of Mount Merapi volcano, located around 25 kilometres north of Prambanan in Central Java, or a power struggle probably caused the shift. That event marked the beginning of the decline of the temple, as it was soon abandoned and began to deteriorate.
The temples collapsed during a major earthquake in the 16th century. Although the temple ceased to be an important center of worship, the ruins scattered around the area were still recognizable and known to the local Javanese people in later times. The statues and the ruins became the theme and the inspiration for the Rara Jonggrang folktale.
The Javanese locals in the surrounding villages knew about the temple ruins before formal rediscovery, but they did not know about its historical background: which kingdoms ruled or which king commissioned the construction of the monuments. As a result, the locals developed tales and legends to explain the origin of temples, infused with myths of giants, and a cursed princess. They gave Prambanan and Sewu a wondrous origin; these were said in the Rara Jonggrang legend to have been created by a multitude of demons under the order of Bandung Bondowoso.
In 1733, Cornelis Antonie Lons, a VOC employee, provided a first report on Prambanan temple in his journal. Lons was escorting Julius Frederick Coyett, a VOC commissioner of northeast Java coast, to Kartasura, then the capital of Mataram, a powerful local Javanese kingdom. During his sojourn in Central Java, he had the opportunity to visit the ruins of Prambanan temple, which he described as “Brahmin temples” that resembles a mountain of stones.[5]:17
After the division of Mataram Sultanate in 1755, the temple ruins and the Opak River were used to demarcate the boundary between Yogyakarta and Surakarta (Solo) Sultanates, which was adopted as the current border between Yogyakarta and the province of Central Java.
The temple attracted international attention early in the 19th century. In 1803, Nicolaus Engelhard, the Governor of the northeast coast of Java, made a stop in Prambanan during his official visits to the kings of Java; Pakubuwono IV of Surakarta and Hamengkubuwono II of Yogyakarta. Impressed by the temple ruins, in 1805 Engelhard commissioned H.C. Cornelius, an engineer stationed in Klaten, to clear the site from earth and vegetation, measuring the area, and made drawings of the temple. This was the first effort to study and restore Prambanan temple.[5]:17
In 1811 during the short-lived British 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. Dutch residents carried off sculptures as garden ornaments and native villagers used the foundation stones for construction material. Half-hearted excavations by archaeologists in the 1880s adversely facilitated looting instead, as numbers of temple sculptures were taken away as collections.
In 1918, the Dutch colonial government began reconstruction of the compound and proper restoration only commenced in 1930. Due to massive scale and the sheer numbers of temples, the efforts at restoration still continue up to this day. By 1930s, the reconstruction project by Dutch East Indies Archaeological Service successfully restored two Apit temples in the central court, and two smaller Perwara temples. The reconstruction used the anastylosis method, in which a ruined temple is restored using the original stone blocks as much as possible.
The restoration efforts was hampered by the economic crisis in 1930s, and finally ceased altogether due to the outbreak of World War II Pacific War (1942-1945), and the following Indonesian National Revolution (1945-1949). After the war, the temple reconstruction resumed in 1949, despite much of technical drawings and photographs were damaged or lost during the war. The reconstruction of the main Shiva temple was completed in 1953 and inaugurated by Indonesia’s first president Sukarno.
Architecture
Originally there were a total of 240 temples standing in Prambanan. The Prambanan Temple Compound consist of:
- 3 Trimurti temples: three main temples dedicated to Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma
- 3 Vahana temples: three temples in front of Trimurti temples dedicated to the vahana of each gods; Garuda, Nandi and Hamsa
- 2 Apit temples: two temples located between the rows of Trimurti and Vahana temples on north and south side
- 4 Kelir temples: four small shrines located on 4 cardinal directions right beyond the 4 main gates of inner zone
- 4 Patok temples: four small shrines located on 4 corners of inner zone
- 224 Pervara temples: hundreds of temples arranged in 4 concentric square rows; numbers of temples from inner row to outer row are: 44, 52, 60, and 68
The Prambanan compound also known as Rara Jonggrang complex, named after the popular legend of Rara Jonggrang. There were once 240 temples standing in this Shivaite temple complex, either big or small.[21]:8 Today, all of 8 main temples and 8 small shrines in the inner zone are reconstructed, but only 3 out of the original 224 pervara temples are renovated. The majority of them have deteriorated; what is left are only 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.
The Hindu temple complex at Prambanan is based on a square plan that contains a total of three zone yards, each of which is surrounded by four walls pierced by four large gates. The outer zone is a large space marked by a rectangular wall. The outermost walled perimeter, which originally measured about 390 metres per side, was oriented in the northeast-southwest direction. However, except for its southern gate, not much else of this enclosure has survived down to the present. The original function is unknown; possibilities are that it was a sacred park, or priests’ boarding school (ashram). The supporting buildings for the temple complex were made from organic material; as a consequence no remains occur.
Temple Photos
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Videos from YouTube
Presiding Deity
Tridev (Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva)❤️🙏
Timing
Monday to Sunday- Open timing MORNING 8am–6:00pm.
The winter season is perfect to visit as it is so hot in summers in Central java which can cause Illness,difficulties.
Aarti Timing
Details awaited.
Basic Facilities
Drinking Water, CCTV Security, , Shoe Store, Wash Rooms.
Activities
Details awaited.
Festivals
Details awaited.
Famous Temples Nearby
- Lumbung. Buddhist-style, consisting of one main temple surrounded by 16 smaller ones.
- Bubrah. Buddhist temple, rebuilt between 2011 and 2017.
- Sewu. Buddhist temple complex, older than Roro Jonggrang. A main sanctuary surrounded by many smaller temples. Well preserved guardian statues, replicas of which stand in the central courtyard at the Jogja Kraton.
- Candi Morangan. Hindu temple complex buried several meters under volcanic ashes, located northwest from Prambanan.
- Candi Plaosan. Buddhist, probably 9th century. Thought to have been built by a Hindu king for his Buddhist queen. Two main temples with reliefs of Boddhisatva and Tara. Also rows of slender stupas.
- South of the Lara Jongrang complex
- Ratu Boko. Complex of fortified gates, bathing pools, and elevated walled stone enclosure, all located on top of the hill.
- Sajiwan. Buddhist temple decorated with reliefs concerning education. The base and staircase are decorated with animal fables.
- Banyunibo. A Buddhist temple with unique design of roof.
- Barong. A Hindu temple complex with large stepped stone courtyard. Located on the slope of the hill.
- Ijo. A cluster of Hindu temple located near the top of Ijo hill. The main temple houses a large lingam and yoni.
- Arca Bugisan. Seven Buddha and bodhisattva statues, some collapsed, representing different poses and expressions.
Near by Shops & Markets
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👉Famous for Shopping in Yogyakarta & Central Java
👉Famous for Shopping Handicrafts and Clothes in Central Java
Nearby Dharamshalas
Details awaited.
Hotels near Temple
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Restaurants near Temple
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Nearby Hospitals
RSIY PDHI Hospital
Panti Rini Hospital
RS. Bhayangkara Jogja
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Concerned Police Stations
Jl. Sepat No.1, Tegalsari, Kec. Tegal Bar., Kota Tegal, Jawa Tengah 52111, IndonesiaPhone: +62 283 351513
https://goo.gl/maps/roH8EyxPrDKXb3SDA
Managment Commity
Details awaited.
Miscellaneous information
Details to be taken.
Legal information
The temple is situated on legal site taking care by Govt. and Mandir Community, there is no legal obligation on Temple Property or Temple Schedule, Criteria,Rules etc..
Facilities to hold Functions
Details to be taken
Library
Details to be taken
Akharas
Details to be taken
Mehants, Pujaris, Archakas and Sewayats
Name:
Photo:
Phone Number:
Further Details:
Details to be updated.
Gau Sewa, Birds and otheranimals Sewa
Initiattives like Pashu Sewa, Pakshi Sewa, Langar Sewa, Vedic Pathshalas etc Plannings in process.
Langar Sewa
Details awaited.
Gurukul/Vedic Pathshalas
Details awaited.
Mitra Mandal Link for Advice/Guidance*
This is a group of devotees of Govardhan Mandir who regularly go for darshans and Govardhan Parikrama.
Google Forms will be available shortly to become member of this group.
Modes of Travel
By Air
The fastest and the most convenient way to travel to Indonesia from India is by air. You can take a flight either to Soekarno–Hatta International Airport in Jakarta or Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar. There are several airlines from India that offer connecting flights to these destinations. Indonesia is roughly 4483 kilometres (2786 mile) from India and the flight time is around 5 hours. You can book your flight from several major cities in India, such as Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Amritsar, Chennai, and Cochin, all of which offer you nonstop flights to your destination.
Soekarno–Hatta International Airport in Jakarta is the busiest airport and it is a mere 20 kilometres from the city centre. The airport offers all the amenities that the modern traveller desires – shops, cafes, lounges, ATM, etc. There could a bit of a wait while arriving or departing this airport. Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar can cater to large as well as smaller aircrafts making it your preferred choice if you’re heading to Bali.
There are several airlines that offer direct flights to Indonesia. Air India, All Nippon Airways, Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and Emirates are some of the international carriers that can fly you to Indonesia. Garuda Indonesia is the national carrier, and you can travel within the country by catching a domestic flight on this airline
Connectivity within the country is excellent and you can easily get yourself a forward flight or alternate mode of transport to wherever your destination in Indonesia is. You can also check out the things to do in Indonesia.
By Sea
If you are feeling a little bit adventurous and also have a lot of time on hand, you can try traveling to Indonesia by sea. The experience of just relaxing aboard a luxurious ship, being lulled by the waves, is unlike any other. Sit back and enjoy the many comforts that the trip offers you.
There are no direct cruises from India and you will first need to head to Singapore. From there, you can hop on board a cruise going to Australia or one doing a circuitous trip around the Southeast Asian countries. You can disembark in Bali where you can continue the rest of your vacation. The cruise from Singapore to Australia usually takes about 6-7 days to reach Bali, with a halt in between at Semarang.
Visitors view about the Temple
The Data mentioned above and links are taken from Google, YouTube, TripAdvisor, Justdial, Wikipedia, Google Maps etc,. which is already in public domain. All such informations are only to facilitate the devotees to have proper darshan and there is no intentions of making any financial benefits out of them.
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