Prambanan Temple

Prambanan temple is the largest and the most beautiful Hindu temple which ever built on the
Java island. The temple was built during the Hindu kingdoms in Indonesia in the 10th century.
Prambanan temple was built by Rakai Pikatan as a rival to Borobudur and Sewu Temple located
not far from Prambanan temple. However, a legend tells that It is a temple built by Bondowoso
as a promise to marry Rorojonggrang. However, the construction of this temple was not
completed because the ruse of Rorojonggrang. Finally Bondowoso cursed Rorojonggrang
become a statue to complete the temple.
As the temple which is very beautiful and gorgeous, the building complex of Prambanan temple
located at an altitude of 154 m above sea level and becomes one of the tourist destinations in
Jogjakarta. It is located in Prambanan village, District Bokoharjo. It is approximately 17 miles
from Jogjakarta. The location is only about 100 m from the highway of Yogya-Solo so that it
must be easy to reach.
The Height of Prambanan temple is about 47 meters. It is 5 meters higher than Borobudur. The
complex of Prambanan temple shaped rectangular consists of 4 main parts: the outer courtyard,
Jaba Yard (outer court), Central Court, and Njeron court (Back Court).
The outdoor courtyard is an open area which has no the temple. The outdoor courtyard surrounds
the outer court which shaped square with an area of 390 m2. It does not have a single temple
inside. At first the outer courtyard surrounded by a stone fence, but now the stone fence is not
there anymore.
After the outer court, there is a central courtyard which shaped rectangular with an area 222 m2.
In the middle of the central courtyard there are 4 terraces in which the deeper of the terrace
location, the higher it is. The first terrace which is the lowest terrace has 68 small temples which
are lined and divided into four lines that connect between entrances to every yard. In the second
terrace, there are 60 temples, in the third terrace there are 52 temples and the last, top terrace or
fourth terrace has 44 temples which has same size 6 m X 14 m2. However, almost all the temples
in the fourth terrace of the only remain the ruins because of natural disasters.
Back Court or inner court is the highest and the most holy place in the Prambanan temple. The
Court shaped rectangular with an area of 110 m2 and height is about 1.5 m. Back court is
surrounded by a stone fence. On its four sides, there are gate which arch-shaped or also called
Padaruksa. In front of the court gate, there is a small temple which shaped square with the area of
1.5 m2 and the height is about 4 m.
Inside the back court, there are 2 temples which line from north to south and 3 temples in the
west overlook east. In the back court, there are also temples which are representing three gods in
Hinduism namely Vishnu temple in the northern, Brahmin temple on the south, and in the
middle, there is a Shiva temple. In front of each of these temples, there are vehicle temples which
represent the vehicle of god.

The Vehicle temples are Garuda temple located in front of Vishnu temple, Nandi temple (Ox) in
front of Shiva temple, and Swans temple in front of Brahma temple. The area of these sixth
temples is 15 m2 with 25 m in height. They face each other and form a hallway.