Prambanan Temple is the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia. Who ordered to build this temple and when it began to be built no one knows precisely, but strong estimates that the Prambanan Temple was built around the middle of the 9th century by the king of the Sanjaya dynasty, Raja Maha Sambu Balitung. This assumption is based on the contents of the Syiwagrha inscription found around Prambanan and at the National Museum in Jakarta. The stone inscription dated 778 Saka (856 AD) was written during the reign of Rakai Pikatan.
There are approximately 240 large and small temples in the Prambanan temple complex. However, only 18 temples have been successfully restored, the rest are scattered into stone piles.
Three of the eight main temples are called Trimurti temples ("three forms"), which are dedicated to the three highest Hindu gods: Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver and Shiva the destroyer.
Siwa Temple which is located in the middle is the largest room in the Prambanan complex and has 5 rooms: east, south, west, north, and the main room in the center of the temple. The east room is connected to the main room which contains the statue of Siwa Mahadewa which is 3 meters high. The northern room contains Mahisasuramardini Durga, Shiva's wife. This Durga is commonly referred to as Rara Jonggrang in local legend.
Right in front of the Trimurti temple there are three small temples as vehicles of the gods; Shiwa rode Nandi's ox, Brahma swan's vehicle, and Vishnu rode Garuda.
In addition to the Prambanan temple there is also a sewu temple. Sewu Temple is a Buddhist temple that was built in the 8th century AD. It is only eight hundred meters north of Prambanan Temple. Sewu Temple is the second largest Buddhist temple complex after Borobudur Temple in Central Java. Sewu Temple is older than Borobudur and Prambanan Temples
Even though it is called "Sewu Temple", there are not as many as 1,000 temples in this area but only 240. Based on existing history, this temple building was built as a tribute to Roro Jonggrang and all became a place of worship for Buddhists during the reign of the Mataram Kingdom. Sewu Temple is indeed located not too far from the Prambanan Temple Complex. Despite having many temple buildings, the area of the temple complex is only around 185 x 165 square. This temple is one of the UNESCO Cultural Heritage. And until now there have been many tourists both domestic and foreign tourists visited for the beauty and historical stories in it.
ACCESS TO TOWARDS PRAMBANAN TEMPLE COMPLEX
can be read on at: https://walk-indonesia.blogspot.com//2019/12/prambanan-heritage-of-ancient-mataram.html