Prambanan, the largest and most beautiful Hindu temple in Indonesia

Prambanan, the largest and most beautiful Hindu temple in Indonesia Returning to Prambanan, the spires were dyed red by the sun. The black spires reach for the sky, and at first glance, they are very similar to Angkor Wat in Cambodia, but not as large, which may be why Prambanan is less well-known. Many people may not have heard of it, and Prambanan seems more mysterious. It is indeed a spectacular ruin, damaged by time, natural disasters, and looting. The Indonesian authorities decided to only rebuild buildings with at least 75% of the original materials available. Prambanan is a large temple complex consisting of three courtyards, originally with 240 temples. Most of the buildings in the outer two layers are in ruins, and the center is the main attraction - three large temples dedicated to Shiva, the god of destruction, Vishnu, the god of protection, and Brahma, the god of creation, and three smaller temples dedicated to the mounts of these gods, Nandi, Garuda, and Hamsa. (The picture below is from Google Images) The central temple is now in good condition, especially tall. The Shiva temple in the center is 47 meters high. Religious integration is also reflected here, for example, the bell-shaped decorations around the Shiva temple on each floor have the shadow of the bell-shaped stupa of Borobudur. The reliefs in the temple corridors depict the story of the Indian epic Ramayana: Rama's wife Sita is kidnapped by the demon king Ravana, and the monkey god Hanuman helps Rama rescue Sita. To identify the content of the reliefs, you need a professional guide. I took some pictures of the exquisite reliefs. These reliefs are incredibly vivid and natural, and some say they surpass any stone carvings of the Ramayana epic in the world. Although it was close to closing time, there were still many tourists, most of them Indonesians. You can climb to the second floor of the Shiva temple along the stairs. There were so many tourists coming and going that I forgot to take pictures of the interior. The picture below is from Google Images. The red glow of dusk seems to recall the glory of the past. From the sunrise of Borobudur to the sunset of Prambanan. The beauty of these ancient monuments spanning thousands of years is fascinating. The sun spires form silhouettes against the pink and purple sky, the crowd disperses, and the world returns to silence.