About this place

Prambanan is a Hindu temple that dates back to the 9th century. It is also called Candi Rara Jonggrang. It is located in Central Java, in Indonesia, approximately 20 km from Yogyakarta. It is enlisted on a UNESCO World Heritage Site List. Of course, it is dedicated to Hindu gods, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.

Its magnificence and beauty attract numerous visitors each year. At its highest point the principal tower is 47 m high. Rather than a single temple, it is a complex of several temples. Each of it has its own beauty and attractiveness.

Rakai Pikatan built the temple and initially dedicated it to Shiva and called it the House of Shiva (Shiva-grha). The present name derives from the Parambanan village located nearby.

Soon after its construction, due to the eruption of the volcano Mount Merapi, the temple was abandoned. This caused the temple to deteriorate. Since the temple was so long abandoned, local residents imagined legends and stories about its origin.

Once again, the temple came to life, after its reconstruction begun in the first half of the 20th century. Colin Mackenzie was a surveyor who came to the area during the short rule of the Dutch and accidentally found the remains of the glorious temple.

Even though a lot of effort was invested into the reconstruction, there are still side, smaller temples which are only visible in its grounds. According to the researches, it is considered that there were about 240 temples on the site.

Unfortunately, an earthquake in the 2006 caused significant damage to the temple, but due to the development of tourism, investments in the reconstruction, temples are open to the public so the numerous visitors can admire this precious monument.