Prambanan

Temples of the Trimūrti · near Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia · UNESCO World Heritage

Prambanan is a 9th-century complex of Hindu temples in Central Java, the largest in Indonesia. Its three main towers are dedicated to Śiva, at the centre and tallest, Viṣṇu and Brahmā, facing smaller shrines for their vāhanas. Reliefs on the walls tell the Rāmāyaṇa.

The complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has been carefully restored after earthquakes. In the dry season, an open-air Rāmāyaṇa ballet is performed with the temples lit up behind the stage. Prambanan is now mainly a heritage site, though Indonesian Hindus hold ceremonies there.

A Javanese legend tells of Princess Roro Jonggrang, who agreed to marry a prince only if he built a thousand temples in one night. When he was close to finishing, she tricked the roosters into crowing early. Furious, he turned her to stone — and local tradition identifies her with the Durgā image in the Śiva temple.

Indonesia · Śiva · Viṣṇu · Brahmā · 9th century · UNESCO World Heritage

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