A Month on the Island of Java: Part II - Prambanan Temple

Prambanan temple complex.

Ruins of a past earthquake.

We set off from Surakarta by road to Yogyakarta on the 24th of December. The hills and mountainous scenery were reserved for the area surround our destination as our journey took us through a primarily flat landscape, rice fields on both sides between the huts and houses the lined the street throughout the entire 2 hour duration. The only major thing of note while we traveled this road was a beautiful black and bronze domed mosque in the Middle Eastern style as we approached the small city of Klaten, midway between Solo and Yogyakarta. Most of the smaller mosques that can be seen in the housing districts are mosaic patterned with vivid colours, some garish, but this one, Masjid Agung Klaten, was imposing and grand and very new. After Klaten, on the approach to Prambanan and Yogyakarta, the flat countryside became progressively hillier as we entered Java's volcanic interior. One more place of interest on our journey was the mosque opposite the turning for the temple. Named Raya Al Muttaquun, this mosque (or masjid in Indonesia) was funded by the state of Jordan and follows a style peculiar to there, with conical towers and a pyramidal roof with bell tower as oppose to the rounded domes at Klaten. Admiring the architecture was short lived as we turned right into the grounds of Prambanan Temple.

Masjid Agung Klaten.

The largest Hindu temple complex in Indonesia, Prambanan Temple complex is the epitome of myth and legend. Although the island of Bali is regarded as Indonesia's Hinduism hub, Prambanan takes visitors back to an era before the spread of Islam, when Buddhism, Hinduism and local traditions provided the main ideologies about religion and thought. The story around the building of the complex centres around a wedding proposal and a woman's unrealistic expectations, much like in the present day! The legend goes that an ogre proposed to a beautiful young maiden who, not wanting to marry the beast yet too afraid to reject his offer for the fear of what might happen to her village if she declined, came up with condition to marriage. The young woman agreed to matrimony on the proviso that the monster would build her 1,000 temples before dawn the next morning. Realising the enormity of the task, the ogre summoned all the spirits of the underworld to help him achieve this mighty goal. Many strenuous hours later, the young maiden, on recognising the ogres progress, gathered all the womenfolk of her village and they began their morning duties earlier than usual, tricking the ogre into believing it was daybreak and that he'd failed his task. Upon hearing about his would-be brides cunning plan, he angrily turned her into the last, and largest, of the 1,000 temples! If there's one thing Indonesian's are good at then it's coming up with epic folklore tales.

Temple devoted to Vishnu.

In reality Prambanan, or Loro Jonggrang as it's locally known, is dedicated to Shiva, Brahma and Vishnu, the deities idolised in the Hindu faith and represented by the three largest temples on the site. On the plateau, facing these three chambers are a trio of smaller shrines dedicated to the animals that protect them; Nandi (a bull), Hamsa (a bird) and Garuda (a mythical phoenix and Indonesia's national symbol). Inside the three main temples can be seen statuettes of the the God's that they are devoted to. The complex's largest stupa, dedicated to the destroyer Shiva, measures 47 metres high making it the tallest temple in Indonesia. The walls of the temples were adorned in bas-reliefs, recalling epic tales about the Indonesian version of the Hindu story of Ramayana. Considering the complex was constructed in the 800's AD, the ancient masonry has survived magnificently into the modern age. Each slab of stone is chiseled into a gargoyle like figurine or represents a brief flash into the Hindu epic. Many of the carvings are of birds and lions, the three deities and others show mass worshiping. Whilst they have survived in brilliant condition, most of the temple complex hasn't. The majority of the 508 stone built stupas have been raised to rubble as the result of an earthquake in the 1990's. Java, as formerly mentioned, is an island situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a boundary where tectonic plates collide, making it one of the most vulnerable areas globally to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. However, the ruins of the small shrines encircling the central masterpieces adds an ancient marvel to the complex. Sometimes the mystery of what used to be is more meaningful and exciting than what remains. The combination of all the aforementioned facts has resulted in this being recognised as a truly marvelous historic site and it has become a UNESCO World Heritage site along with Borobudur.

Bas-reliefs in the temple walls.

One thing I've come to dislike about Indonesia is how they charge different rates when visiting sites and parks. As a foreign visitor to Prambanan I had to pay 252,000 rupiah (11.70 GBP) whereas Lidya paid just 30,000 rupiah (1.40 GBP) as a local. It's possibly my Yorkshire roots that made me grumble but it seems a bit of a steep rise in price. It didn't help that a local vendor outside tried offering me an umbrella for 100,000 rupiah (just for hire) yet was giving them to Indonesians for loose change. Instead I decided to brave the scorching rays and get a tan in the process. The complex grounds, landscaped with small gardens and trees, was full of recreational activities; picnics, horse riding and train rides for anyone wanting to explore without the effort of walking, the Indonesian way! It seemed I was the only person not to loan an umbrella when we entered the holy site, the shade had gone and the sun's rays shot down on us unrelenting. The only respite from the sun was to either go inside the little grotto of each of the stupas, which were hot enough even without the sun as the throngs of tourists all huddled together, or one of a half dozen trees that were already shading plenty of exhausted visitors. It was here that I found a way to recoup some of the money I'd lost on my ticket price had it not been for my generous character. As the only white guy at the temple at that time I'd attracted the attention of many curious and inquisitive locals. I thought it was from my dazzling good looks but I was informed, with a laugh, it was just for the fact that I'm a foreigner. Nevertheless, I was asked by countless strangers, mainly groups of girls, to pose for pictures, which I duly obliged to and had I been of entrepreneurial spirit I could have quite easily exploited the situation. My sisters in law had bought me Mr. Bean's teddy for Christmas which was clipped to my bag and I was mistakenly misidentified as Mr. Bean. I'm still working out if that's a compliment or an insult.

Statue of Brahma inside the stupa dedicated to him.

Among the temples.

A random photo with some inquisitive strangers.  

I really enjoyed our excursion to Prambanan Temple and it has been on my Indonesian wishlist for four years. The ruins are magnificent and they're astonishingly well maintained. The only downside is that it is so close to Yogyakarta that it almost merges into the urban landscape so, although it still seems secluded from the modern world, it is so crowded you can barely move. Despite my little rant over the price it still equates to value for money by Western prices and it's be somewhere I'd love to visit again, hopefully at a quieter period.
For any additional information of Prambanan, visit UNESCO website for photo's and details.
 

Scenes from the Hindu epic of Ramayana,
carved into the temple stones.