HeritagePhoto Wikimedia CommonsPrambanan Temples
Indonesia
Finish the tour with a visit to most beautiful Hindu temple Prambanan. Built in the ninth century, this is the largest temple compound dedicated to Shiva in Indonesia. See the three temples decorated with reliefs illustrating the epic of the Ramayana, dedicated to the three great Hindu divinities (Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma) and three temples dedicated to the animals who serve them.
Contents
8 sections · tap a section for its opening lines1Orientation
Welcome to the sprawling, nearly forty-hectare majestic grounds of the Prambanan Temple complex. If Borobudur, which sits just a short distance away, is a masterpiece of horizontal, meditative expansion, Prambanan is a…
Listen in the app2The Central Courtyard — The Divine Trimurti
We have now entered the holiest precinct of the entire Prambanan complex, the elevated central courtyard. Notice how the ground has been artificially raised above the surrounding land, physically elevating us from the profane…
Listen in the app3The Temple of Shiva — The Destroyer's Sanctuary
Let us focus our attention entirely on the main temple, the spectacular shrine of Lord Shiva. As you approach the massive stone staircase that leads to its elevated galleries, the sheer density of the artwork becomes…
Listen in the app4The Northern Chamber — The Legend of Loro Jonggrang
While the central chamber of the Shiva temple houses the great god himself, the northern chamber holds a statue that has vividly captured the local Javanese imagination for over a millennium. It is an exquisite stone image of…
Listen in the app5The Temple of Brahma — The Creator's Canvas
To the south of the magnificent Shiva temple stands its slightly smaller, yet deeply significant neighbor: the Temple of Brahma, the Creator deity of the Hindu Trimurti. While often overshadowed by the colossal, towering spire of…
Listen in the app6The Temple of Vishnu — The Preserver's Epic
Completing the triad of the main courtyard, located to the north of the Shiva temple, is the shrine dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the Preserver of the universe. In Hindu theology, Vishnu is the benevolent deity who intervenes in…
Listen in the app7The Shattered Periphery — Earthquakes and Anastylosis
Take a moment to look outward from the pristine, elevated platforms of the three main temples. Directly facing Shiva, Brahma, and Vishnu are three smaller shrines dedicated to the Vahanas, the divine animal vehicles of the gods. …
Listen in the app8Closing
As our extensive exploration of the Prambanan complex concludes, the harsh Javanese sun begins to mellow, casting incredibly long, golden shadows that dramatically highlight the sharp stone spires and intricate carvings of these…
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What is Prambanan Temples?
Prambanan Temples is a place in Indonesia with 8 story sections on Tellby. You can read the opening of each section on this page; the sound plays in the app.
| Location | Indonesia |
|---|---|
| Type | Heritage |
| Story sections | 8 |
| Text language | English |
| Coordinates | -7.7511, 110.5193 |
| Last updated |
