PRAMBANAN: Romance in Stone

---

PRAMBANAN...Romance in Stone.

There was a king with a beautiful daughter, Sita (Dewi Shinta)...so beautiful that he devised a contest for the strongest to win her hand...he who can draw the magic bow.

The strongest in the land failed...to the king's surprise.

Step forward Rama...strong of mind & heart...who pulled the bow...fired an arrow...became eager to possess his bride.

To attract Sita, Rama ordered one of his followers to change into a golden deer...that entranced Sita with its beauty...so Sita asked Rama to capture it for her.

While Rama hunted the deer...Rahwana, a rival King ...desired Sita for himself... kidnapped Sita & flew to Sri Lanka.

Rama had to get her back...didn't he..?

A love story...but no ordinary love story... Ramayana...carved in stone...over 1,000 years ago..on the largest Hindu Temple complex in S-E Asia..Prambanan.

About 15 kms north-east of Yogyakarta...best visited early morning...best light for photos...and before it is besieged by tourists...this site will blow you away.

Head over the bridge as if heading to Merapi volcano...amaze at how close that most active of volcanoes is to Yogyakarta...its then someway ahead on the left...Prambanan...in a manicured green park.

When first seen...ornately carved spires...in a large elevated walled courtyard...the largest 47 metres tall...the Temple of Siwa (Shiva the Destroyer)...flanked by the Temple of Brahma (the Creator)...and the Temple of Vishnu (the Sustainer).

There are also three small temples dedicated to their animal vehicles...the Bull for Shiva...the Eagle for Brahma...and the Swan for Vishnu...and a few minor temples near entrances.

Prambanan was once surrounded by about 224 small temples called pervaras, in neat rows...but all that remains of them are piles of square carved stones...a massive jig-saw that restorers may never complete. Many of the original stones are obviously missing...probably looted for parts of village houses and walls over the centuries.

Built in the first half of the 10th Century AD...(some say 9th Century 854AD ) probably built by the Hindu Sanjaya Dynasty of the Mataram Kingdom...the locals called it Loro Joggrang (Slender Maiden) after an impressive statue of Shiva's wife.

Around the same time another neighbouring Dynasty was at the zenith of its power...the Sailendra...but they were Buddhists...and they loved building temples..!

What you find at Prambanan...within walking distance...is Candi Sewu...(the Thousand Temples)...Buddhist...also 9th or 10th Century...sharing some architectural similarities with its Hindu neighbour...and two smaller Buddhist sites between...Candi Lumbung & Candi Bubrah...all 4 in a straight line.

Religious tolerance and integration in the 10th Century...in structures indicating incredible power and wealth of the makers...a tolerance vibe I felt continued in Java today...now predominately Islam.

Our Guide was Joe...a delightful man whose vast knowledge and skills we were to enjoy over the next week or so.

Started off by telling of the eruption issues at Ijen the week before..."I was one hour off the crater when it blew"...it is off-limits at the moment...hope its open by the time we get there...and the major eruption of Merapi a year ago...blew off part of the top of its cone...threw boulders onto villages...mudflows wiping out others...creating employment for 5,000 to clean up the aftermarth.

We had many talks as to the Javan attitude of "Volcanoes are our friend...a dangerous friend...with whom we must live in harmony...volcanoes the taker and giver of life."

And at Prambanan...Joe led us through the relief carvings on the outer wall of Candi Siwa (Candi means temple)...and told us the story of the Ramayana...pointing out the carvings...and breaking into dance enacting it out.

Turns out Joe is a guide at Prambanan in his spare time...was called "Professor" by some of the locals who came up...and was once a member of the Ramayana Ballet...got us excellent seats for a night performance on site several days later...the traditional dance from the Javan Court...and someone else told us he had once been awarded as Yogyakarta's best exponent of Javan traditional dance.

How lucky were we..? We had Joe.

As we approached the spires...said "Hi...Where are you from?"..."Canada"...Eric & Erin...spent a few days with them at Borobudur after that...Erin and I may be related through Newfoundland heritage..!

Inside the enclosure...among the spires...marvelling...Merapi overlooking...Joe showing us how last year they had to brush this much (5 cms/2 inches) volcanic ash off the temples...marvelling...this site is astounding.

It is said the Mataram Kingdom moved from Prambanan and the temples' importance declined. It is also said the temples were damaged many times by volcanic activity...even levelled during an earthquake in the 16th Century.

Since 1937, the renovation of the temples has been carried out in earnest at massive cost...Candi Siwa completed in 1953...and others to its present extent...restored as important Hindu & Buddhist sites.

In 1991 the site (Prambanan to Candi Sewu) received UNESCO World Heritage status and the local market and rice paddies converted to green lawns...converting it as a major tourist attraction.

In May 2006 an earthquake caused significant damage to Prambanan and worse for nearby Candi Sewu...so undaunted...they tried to rebuild again.

And...among the spires, their terrraces, inside, outside, the stories carved in stone...were the portraits...local people...men & women...equal in mind & soul...embracing my lens...and we embracing theirs...embuing the character that is Java...a character that was to move us as we danced through that exotic isle.

Walking North...Candi Lumbung...the renovators having won back several of the original 17 temples.

Then Candi Bubrah...being dismantled and reassembled in numbered sections on the surrounding ground...the many stonemasons showing us the difficulty of the task...many stones missing...exciting me with their resolve.

Candi Sewu

With sweat cascading off us...we reached the second largest Buddhist temple complex in Java (after Borobudur)...and this site affected me deeply...Candi Sewu...masses and masses of carved stones...piled around the perimeter of ancient temples...rebuilt...renovated to an extent...completion to me...impossible.

There were "millions" of piled stones...the most massive jig-saw puzzle imaginable...evidence of subsidence or earthquake damage...how on earth...how...when...at what cost...how can you match the stones to rebuild..?

And the renovated temples...stone on stone...some obviously new stones to make up for missing or unfindable...precariously balanced...rising heavenward...to me...awesome...awesome...awesome.

Relax & Enjoy,

Dancing Dave


****Go to base of page and left click Next for more photos****

---