Surprisingly, I woke up early today and the weather was nice. So, I thought about going hunting for pictures at the temples nearby. But because I was waiting for a friend, it took longer than expected. On my way to the temple, the clouds were really thick. I had a bad feeling about it. And it became true. The sky was dark and the lighting was off balance. It was once again difficult finding the right setting for the images.
Candi Prambanan (Syiwagrha)
I went to about six temples today and I will tell them in detail in my timeless architecture series. Some of my questions about the structures nearby were answered today. The guide was surprised by the information that I know. She also mentioned that I am not a regular visitor. As in, most of the people are always taking selfies and I already have some ideas in mind. It was interesting hearing the guide’s explanation about the place, especially the Boko Royal’s palace.
Candi Prambanan (Syiwagrha)
Lately, I’ve seen prambanan temple around. But some of the pictures contain other temples that aren’t prambanan. So, here I am going to show you what is prambanan and what is not. Technically, prambanan is a region and not its actual temple name. The temple is actually called Candi Siwagrha or Shiva’s house as the guide told us. And like many other temples in Indonesia, there are many that are named after the region where the temple was found. This one was not an exception. If you have been there and didn’t know about it, now you know.
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Some parts of the temple had already been destroyed perhaps by earthquakes and maybe even human actions like wars. Prambanan: A Temple with a Story of Love and Betrayal | A Jog around Jogjakarta | Indonesian Itinerary 3
Actually these temples were destroyed by a nearby volcanic eruption and it is correct that there had been an earthquake. But there is a lot of folklore that circles around this place, whether one could believe it or not. And behind the story, there is actually a political play and issues between the successors that reigned during the 8th to 9th century of ancient mataram kingdom. The temple wasn’t actually built overnight, it was built in the span of a century. And the temple that is the witness to the story of love and betrayal is this one, not the three main temples with perwara(smaller temples around it). The actual temple is called candi sewu which is still inside the complex of prambanan temple. The only thing that made people call candi shiva as loro jonggrang is because the statue is located inside of it. And even from the temple itself, it isn’t actually 1000 or sewu in javanse rather, according to the board information it consist of 249 temples.
Candi Sewu (The one mentioned in the loro jonggrang folktales)
This complex and the temples nearby are the witness of the last ancient mataram until they moved to East Java and created their own kingdom called, “majapahit” which I explored early this year.
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This tower though had a hole in the middle. I don't know what it is for. Armoury perhaps? Your guess is as good as mine.Chasing the Sunset at Ratu Boko | A Jog in Jogjakarta | Indonesian Itinerary 4
Ratu Boko (Not a candi but rather a royal's palace including office)
That was the platform and the hole is behind me.
Basically, that part was used for burning offerings to the goddess of fire called Agni. I went there with a guide who took me around the whole complex that stretches for almost 2 hectare. Since I am already too familiar with the folklore of it, as I even had a class on mythology and especially around these temples, I wanted to focus on the place, structures, and why it was that way. So by the way, this ratu boko was once a vihara but under a different reign of a king who followed shaivism, it was turned into a kingdom’s office with Hinduism flair. However, now an excavation is going on as there is a theory that ratu boko is just a village and another site is actually the office. For more of the temple. Stay tuned for my timeless architecture story!
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| Mac is a jack of all trades. A typical introvert in love with literature, books, technology and philosophy. She is also so into nootropics, productivity, minimalist lifestyle, cybersecurity, and languages. Other than that, she is passionate about cooking and traveling. In her free time, she enjoys learning various things. If you like her content, don't hesitate to upvote, leave a comment or a feedback. A re-blog is also appreciated. |
