GEBANG TEMPLE

Gebang Temple is located on Condongcatur Region, south of Gebang Village, Ngemplak, Sleman. It is about 11 Kilometer from Yogyakarta town center. Gebang Temple (Gebang Temple) was established in early Central Java Age (about years 730 - 800). It's background of establishing, however, has remained a mystery. Gebang Temple, Jogyakarta, a blend of Buddha-Hindu temple. A Ganesha enchased on its architecture. This Temple has several peculiar features that can't find on other Hindu's temples; such as peak of the Temple is formed "lingga" stand over "Seroja" flower. The Ganesha Statue inside the chamber sat over "Yoni", and inside the main chamber that usually placed by worship God, here content a "lingga". Another peculiar feature is there is no stair connected to main chamber, so this main chamber difficult to reach.

Mendut Temple

Mendut Temple is the older temple than Borobudur Temple. There are stories for children on its walls. It is located 1 km to the east of Pawon temple. There are magnificent statues of Buddha inside the temples. For Waisak ceremony, the offering and the praying start in this temple.

Mendut Temple is frequently used to celebrate the Waisak day every May full moon and the pilgrims from Indonesia and all parts of the world come to this ceremony. Its architecture is square, and have an entrance on its steps. Its roof is also square and terraced. There are stupas (= bell-shaped structures) on it.

PAWON TEMPLE

Pawon Temple is not a grave but as a place to keep King Indra's weapon namely Vajranala. Tiny temple 2 km east of Borobudur, contains a Buddha statue. The temple's style and the relief carved on the wall resemble most Javanese Hindu Temple. Pawon Temple is one and half kilometers westward from Mendut Temple and eastward from Borobudur Temple; it is also a Buddhist temple. When appreciating in detail, its sculpture is the beginning of Borobudur sculpture.

This temple was built with volcanic stones. Architecturally it is a blend of old Javanese Hindu and Indian art. Pawon temple is exactly in the central point of the straight line stretched from Borobudur to Mendut Temple. Perhaps it was built for kubera. It is on a wide rather terrace with steps. All parts are decorated with stupa(s) on dagoba(s) and its outside walls with symbolic pictures.

PRAMBANAN TEMPLE

This is the most famous and also the most magnificent of Central Java's temples or more precisely complex of temples. Situated about 15 kilometers from Yogyakarta, the top of the main shrine is visible from a great distance and rises high above the scattered ruins of the former temples. Prambanan is the masterpiece of Hindu culture of the tenth century. The slim building soaring up to 47 meters makes its beautiful architecture incomparable. Seventeen kilometers east of Yogyakarta, King Balitung Maha Sambu built the Prambanan temple in the middle of the ninth century. Its parapets are adorned with bas-reliefs depicting the famous Ramayana story. This magnificent Shivaite temple derives it name from the village where it is located.




Prambanan Temple is locally known as the Roro Jonggrang Temple, or the Temple of the "Slender Virgin", it is the biggest and most beautiful Hindu temple in Indonesia. The temple complex of Prambanan lies among green fields and villages. It has eight shrines, of which the three main ones are dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma. The main temple of Shiva rises to a height of 130 feet and houses the magnificent statue of Shiva's consort, Durga. There are 224 temples in the complex; three of them, the main temples are Brahma Temple in the north, Vishnu Temple in the south, and the biggest among the three which lies between Brahma and Vishnu temples is Shiva Temple (47 meters high).

Two theatres have provided the temple. Enjoy sunrise behind the glory of Prambanan Temple. Visitors should be at the location - in the area of The Open Air Theater and archaeological park of the temple - before sunrise at about 5:00 o'clock in the morning. The First open-air theatre was built on the southern side of the temple in 1960 and the second was built on the western side of the temple in 1988. During full moon evenings in the month from May to October, the Ramayana ballet is performed right here. Perhaps one of the most majestic temples in the South-East Asia, Prambanan attracts many admirers each year from abroad.

Visit :
Prambanan Temple Website

Kalasan Temple

Kalasan Temple is built in Kalasan village about 2 km west of Prambanan, 15 km from Yogyakarta. _It is dedicated to a Buddhist Goddess, TARA. It is 6 meters tall and has 52 stupas. This unique Buddhist temple is located east of Yogyakarta, on the south side of the main road between Yogyakarta and Solo. It was built in honor of the marriage between king Pancapana of Sanjaya Dynasty and a Princess of Syailendra Dynasty, named Dyah Pramudya Wardhani. It is beautifully ornamented with finely carved relief and coated with "vajralepa", a yellowish material made from the sap of a certain tree. The vajralepa functioned as an adhesive and as protection against moss and mildew, while at the same time it refined the carvings. This temple is 24 m high and its base built in the form of a Greek cross.

SEWU of THOUSAND TEMPLE

Sewu Temple is located 2 km north of Prambanan Temple. This is the second largest Buddhist Temple complex in Java; Restoration is professionally underway to reach its original form. It is a MANDALA, manifesting the universe in the center temple of Mahadeva, surrounded by four rings of 250 smaller temples of Gods. Sewu Temple complex is located in Prambanan Temple Park area, about 800 meters to the north of Rara Jongrang Temples. The fact that this temple was built near Prambanan Temple, which is a Hindu temple, indicated that the Hindus and Buddhists lived in harmony.

The main temple has 1 main room and 4 small rooms of which are doorways to the temple. The east door serves as main door to the main room. That way, the main temple faces to the east. The structure has 9 'roofs'; each of them forms a stupa on the top. It is believed to be a royal temple and was one of the religious activity centers in the past. Based on the inscription dated back to 792 AD, which was found in 1960, the name of the temple complex was probably "Manjus'rigrha" (The House of Manjusri). Manjusri is one of Boddhisatva in Buddhist teaching. Sewu Temple was probably built in the 8th century at the end of Rakai Panangkaran administration. Rakai Panangkaran (746 AD - 784 AD) was a popular king from the old Mataram kingdom. HC Cornelius studied the temple firstly in 1807. NJ Krom did the first archeological study in 1923.

SONOBUDOYO MUSEUM

This museum is founded in November 1935 and designed by the Dutch architect Kersten. This Museum is built in traditional Javanese architecture. It exhibits weapons, leather and wooden puppets of Wayang Theater, masks, statues, textiles, curios and old Javanese gamelan instruments. The museum is situated on the northern side of the city's main square in front of the Sultan's Palace. Sonobudoyo museum is located on the north side of the North Square of Sultan's Palace. It was built in 1935 according to Javanese architecture. The architecture of gateway resembles to the entrance of the mosque in Kudus in the way to the auditorium and main Joglo structure, which are connected, while Kudus is the most ancient town in Java Island beside Kotagede. The museum has the second most complete collection of cultural artifacts after the central museum in Jakarta, like ceramic from the Neolithic Age, statues and bronze articles from the 8th, 9th and 10th century originating from Central Java temples, various kinds of masks and wayang (puppet for shadow play), a gamelan or orchestra, an ancient weapon collection, the looms and artifacts from Bali. This museum is also an interesting library that keeps various ancient books related to the Javanese culture.