Prambanan Temple

Once upon a time, there was a young and powerful man named Bandung Bondowoso. One day he wanted to marry a beautiful princess named Roro Jonggrang. However, she did not love Bondowoso and did not have the heart to refuse him. After thinking hard, the daughter of King Boko found a way to refuse Bondowoso, whose magical power was well-known all over the region. Roro Jonggrang demanded something which she believed Bondowoso could not fulfill, as a condition to marry her.

Jonggrang demanded Bondowoso to build 1,000 temples in one night before the dawn breaks. and the work must be completed before the rooster crowed. With the help of genies and his magical powers, Bondowoso completed 999 temples. Panick, Jonggrang told the women of her village to start pounding rice so the rooster quickly got up and in a second, it crowed. Bondowoso was disappointed to see this. He was very mad. When he found out that it was the work of Roro Jonggrang, he came to her and turned her into a stone, making her as his 1000th temple.

This is the legend of Roro Jonggrang or Prambanan temple, which is the largest Hindu temple in Southeast Asia. This temple is 47 meters high. Historically, Roro Jonggrang or Prambanan temple was built in the 10th century during the Wangsa Sanjaya era. It was built to respect the Trinity, namely Sive the Destroyer, Vishnu the Sustainer and Brahma the Creator.

After hundreds of years of being forgotten, Prambanan temple was eventually rediscovered by CA Lons, a Dutchman, in 1733. Since then, this temple has been revitalized.

Prambanan has a historically significant past. Its grandeur, complexity, and integrated Mandala architectural concept portraying themes of the Hindu faith, has been declared a World Heritage site in 1991 by UNESCO.

Getting There

To reach the temple, you can take an airplane from Soekarno Hatta airport in Jakarta to Jogjakarta or Semarang. Garuda Indonesia, Mandala, Merpati Nusantara Airlines, and AirAsia are among the airlines flying this route.

From Jogjakarta, you can rent a car to go to Klaten. There, you can proceed to reach the Temple on foot. If you think you already have enough walking from your hotel bed to the restroom, you can always call for a becak or rickshaw. With the cost of about Rp10,000 the Becak driver will bring you to Prambanan temples up to the front of entrance gate, not far from the ticket box.

Getting Around

You have to go on foot after all. No matter, you'll be able to enjoy the landscape better.

This temple compound covers 39.8 hectares. In its main yard, there are three main temples, three Wahana temples, two Apit temples, and eight Patok temples surrounded by fences. In its second yard, there are 224 Perwara temples. Enough to make your day.

Compared to the temples in Angkor Wat, the temples in Prambanan are easier to explore and more tourist -friendly. Before you get your hopes up and wish for a rustic setting of tall grass, a handy machete and a monkey or two, this temple complex (four temples) is positioned in a large, landscaped park complete with spotlights and lots of stalls that has "tourist trap" written all over them.

To Do

Enjoy the reliefs inside the temple, which show the epic story of Ramayana. Inside, there are historical items such as the Lingga Batara Siwa stone, a symbol of fertility.

At certain periods, the management of the Prambanan temple performs Ramayana dance, as shown in the abovementioned reliefs. This dance is performed by more than 250 dancers in an open stage and in two versions. Ramayana Prambanan version is an adaptation of Javanese culture over several centuries.

And of course, snap as many photos as you can. The ticket you had purchased to enter Prambanan (or Borobudur) is good for a whole day. Meaning, you can exit and reenter the sites as many times as you wish, as you move around. This allows you, especially for photographers, to take pictures of the sites at different times of the day.

To Stay

Lots of varieties of inns and hotels to choose from in Jogjakarta. Go to our Travel Directory and search for hotels in Jogjakarta.

If you're into luxury hotels, try Sheraton Mustika Yogyakarta Resort and Spa. It's near the airport. Great pool, gift shops, entertainment, and food.

To Eat

Wherever you go in Java plains, the climatic conditions are very warm all throughout the year. Under such circumstances, if someone serves you a big pitcher of cold javanese tea, nothing can be more refreshing than this. This big cup of cold ginger Javanese tea usually costs only IDR 2,000.

Quoted from :http://www.indonesia.travel/en/destination/247/prambanan

Supported by : JavaTourism, Lintang Buana Tours