Prambanan Temple in Central Java Indonesia

Prambanan temple or Temple of Loro Jonggrang is the largest Hindu temple compound in Indonesia which was built in the 9th century AD. This temple is dedicated to Trimurti, the three main Hindu deities namely Brahma as the creator, Vishnu as the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer as a God. Based on the original name of śivagŗha this temple complex is the Siwagrha (Sanskrit meaning ' House of Shiva '), and indeed in the garbagriha (main hall) of the temple is the abode of Shiva Mahadeva's statue as high as three meters which shows that in this temple of the deity Shiva preferred.

The temple complex is located on Prambanan sub-district, sub-district of Sleman and Prambanan, Klaten, approximately 17 kilometres north-east of Yogyakarta, 50 kilometers southwest of Surakarta and 120 kilometres south of Semarang, exactly on the border between Central Java province and Yogyakarta. It is a unique, Prambanan Temple is located in the Bokoharjo village administration, Prambanan, Sleman Regency, while the entrance of the Prambanan temple complex located on the territory of administrative village Tlogo, Prambanan, Klaten.

This temple is including a UNESCO World Heritage site, the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia, as well as one of the most beautiful temples in Southeast Asia. The architecture of the building is tall and slender shaped in accordance with Hindu architecture in General with Shiva temple as the main temple has reached a height of 47 metres tall in the middle of a complex cluster of temples.

As one of Southeast Asia's grandest Temple, Prambanan Temple becomes the attraction of tourists visit from all over the world. According to śivagŗha, this temple was built around 850 CE by Rakai Pikatan, and continue to be developed and expanded by Balitung Maha Sambu, in the Medang Kingdom of Mataram.

The history of the construction of Prambanan Temple

Prambanan is the largest Hindu temple and grandest ever constructed in ancient Java Kingdom was Hindu temples development started by Rakai Pikatan as rival Buddhist temple Borobudur and candi also located not far from Prambanan. Some historians have long suspected that the construction of the great Hindu temple is to mark the return of a family imprisoned by Sanjaya over Java, this related theory of twins of different competing beliefs; that is the House of Sanjaya Hindu and Buddhist sailendras. Certainly, with the building of this temple marks that Hinduism flow Shaivas back got the support of the Royal family, having previously sailendras tend to be more supportive of Mahayana Buddhism. This marked that Medang Kingdom switched the focus of support keagamaanya, of Mahayana Buddhism to worship of Shiva.

The building was first built around the year 850 Ad by Rakai Pikatan and continuously enhanced and expanded by the King and the King Balitung Maha Lokapala Sambu. On the basis of śivagŗha, 856 M dated this sacred building was built to honour Lord Shiva, and the original name in Sanskrit is the Siwagrha (Sanskrit: Shiva-grha which means: ' the House of Siva ') or Siwalaya (Sanskrit: Shiva laya-which means: ' the realm of Shiva ' or ' Nature of Shiva '). In this inscription mentioned that when the construction of the Temple of Siwagrha ongoing, conducted public works also changes the layout of the water to move the flow of the River near this temple. The River in question is the Opak River which flows from North to South along the Western side of the complex of Prambanan Temple. Historians suspect that the original flow of the river is the curved turn eastward, and is considered too close to the Temple so that the erosion of the river can be dangerous to the construction of the temple. Project layout of water is done by creating a new river sodetan cut the curved River with a North-South axis along the west wall outside the temple complex. The original river flow then hoarded to provide land for the construction of wider rows of perwara (Temple guard or temples).

Some archaeologists argue that the statue of Shiva in the garbhagriha (the main hall) in the Shiva temple, the main temple is a statue of him as the embodiment of King Balitung, as arca nagarakertagama posthumously.

The complex of the building continued periodically enhanced by the Kings of Mataram, as Phoebe King Daksha and Tulodong, and expanded by building hundreds of additional temples around the main temple. Because of the grandeur of this temple, Prambanan Temple serves as the great Temple of Mataram Kingdom, venue for important Royal ceremonies. During its height, historians suspect that hundreds of Brahmin and his disciples gathered Ministers and inhabit the outer Court of the temple to learn Vedas and perform various rituals and ceremonies of Hinduism. While the center of Mataram Kingdom or Royal family allegedly located somewhere near Prambanan plain Kewu.