A temple was first built around 850CE by Rakai Pikatan to honor lord Shiva. Shiva-grha, or the House of Shiva, was the original name of the temple. Many archaeologists suggest that the idol of Shiva located in the central chamber of the main temple is modeled after King Balitung. Experts believe this idol represents a depiction of the king’s deified self after death.

The temple complex was expanded by Mataram kings Daksa and Tulodong. They also added hundreds of temples around the chief temple. Most of the state’s religious ceremonies took place at Prambanan because it served as the royal temple of Mataram, a Hindu Kingdon. Hundreds of Brahmins are said to have lived at Prambanan at the height of the Mataram kingdom. Scholars also believe that their followers lived within the outer wall of the temple complex. The urban center of Prambanan and their courts were said to be located in the nearby Prambanan valley.

A new dynasty, the Isyana Dynasty, took over in the 930s, and they shifted the court to East Java. Experts believe that either a volcanic eruption or power struggle caused the move, which marked the beginning of Prambanan’s decline. It began to deteriorate shortly after it was abandoned. The temples ultimately collapsed when a major earthquake hit in the 16th century, though there were no longer an important place of worship.

A British surveyor accidentally stumbled upon the temples in 1811. A full survey of Prambanan’s ruins was ordered, but they still remained neglected for decades. Many sculptures and foundation stones were stolen by Dutch residents and used for construction material. More excavations took place by archaeologists in the 1880s, but they were done in a haphazardly manner and looting was the only result. Finally a reconstruction effort of the complex began in 1918, followed by proper restoration in 1930. The restoration of the main building of the temple complex was completed around 1953. So much of the original stonework has been stolen and reused, so restoration efforts have been slow. A temple can only be rebuilt only if builders can use at least 75% of the original masonry. For that reason, only foundations of many of the smaller shrines are visible today, and no plans for their reconstruction are evident. Restoration efforts continue today.

Prambanan Visitor Information
The nearest major cities to Prambanan are Yogyakarta, located 17 kilometres southwest, and Solo, which is about 40 kilometres northeast. There is a main road that connects these two large cities. It passes right by Prambanan and makes transport quite easy. The town of Klaten is closest to Prambanan, located about 3 km north.
UNESCO designated Prambanan a World Heritage Site in 1991. It became an increasingly popular tourist destination after that. You will need at least an entire day to get around and understand the historical significance of Prambanan. Prambanan opens early, at 6 AM, so staying nearby the previous night is a good idea. Getting in before the massive crowds arrive at 9am will afford you a good amount of time to explore with a limited amount of tourists. This will also afford the opportunity to visit some of the other archaeological sites on the Prambanan plain. This area of Java gets a lot of rain, so visiting from April to October give you the best chance of having a clear, sunny day.

237 temples comprise the Prambanan complex, though many of have deteriorated or been looted. Three zones make up the complex:

• The outer zone- a large open space that was once surrounded by a large wall, which is no longer there. Many experts believe this was used as either a park or garden. Some think it was the site of an ashram for temple priests.
• The middle zone- this has four rows of 224 identical, concentrically arranged shrines. Many are in ruins, but there are some that have been fully restored. The shrines are called guardian temples. There are many theories about the design and use of this shrine. Some experts think it is a representation of the Mataram caste system. Others think these were designed to receive offerings to the king. Still others believe they were simply used for meditation.
• The inner zone- contains eight main temples along with eight small shrines. Archaeologists agree this is the holiest of the three zones. There are three main inner shrines that are dedicated to Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Keeper, and Shiva the Destroyer.

Prambanan Conservation Efforts
In July 2006, the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (WHC) in Jakarta was provided with major funding from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for rehab efforts at Prambanan after a major earthquake hit Indonesia. Information panel boards were installed to raise awareness to tourists visiting the site.

Borobudur lay hidden for centuries under layers of volcanic ash and jungle growth for centuries and its abandonment remains a mystery. The monument was not forgotten completely, though folk stories gradually shifted from its past glory into more superstitious beliefs associated with bad luck and misery. Two old Javanese chronicles from the eighteenth century mention cases of bad luck associated with the monument. Borobudur’s main stupa, which is empty and has created a mystery during the discovery period.

Hartmann, a Dutch administrator of the Kedu region, unearthed the whole complex in 1835. His interest in Borobudur was more personal than official. Hartmann did not write any reports of his activities; in particular, the alleged story that he discovered the large statue of Buddha in the main stupa. In 1842, Hartmann investigated the main dome although what he discovered remains unknown as the main stupa remains empty.

Borobudur consists of a single stupendously large structure, which can be divided into layers as follows:

* The platform at the base of the structure, which was clearly added on later and hides some reliefs, is of uncertain provenance and function. The main theories are that the platform was added to censor reliefs depicting earthly desires or — rather more likely — to buttress the subsiding structure and prevent it from collapsing. A section of the platform has been excavated at the southeast corner, showcasing some of the hidden reliefs underneath.

* The bulk of the structure consists of four square terraces connected by steep staircases. Each terrace has reliefs in two layers on both sides, recounting the story of the Buddha’s past lives and his enlightenment. The “correct” way to view the reliefs is to start from the east gate (the main entrance) and circulate clockwise.

* After the square terraces the structure suddenly opens up to reveal the final four circular terraces. Comparatively plain and unadorned, there are no more reliefs here, just several hundred domes housing half-hidden Buddha statues (many headless, some lost entirely).

* The peak of the structure is a central stupa. The two chambers inside the stupa are empty, and it is unclear whether they were empty from the beginning as a representation of nirvana, or whether they originally contained now lost statues.

* You can discover 6 different postures of buddha’s statue for bottom level to the top. They are “contact with earth”, “giving and helping”, “meditation”, “no fear”, “teach and learn”, “turn of wills”.

Borobudur Visitor Information
Entry into the Borobudur site costs US$11 – Rp93,000 (US$7 student, or Rp9,000 if you are Indonesian) and the site is open to the public from 6 AM to 5 PM. However, the Manohara Hotel (see Sleep) runs a daily Borobudur Sunrise Tour for an additional US$10 (115 000 IDR) per person, which gets you a flashlight and a lift up to the temple gate at 4:30 AM, in time to see the sunrise and explore for an hour and a half before the hordes arrive, and is well worth the money. Hiring a guide who can explain the reliefs well costs Rp 50,000. You should ask for a guide in the evening before going to tour in the morning.

Borobodur Conservation Efforts
In the mid 1970s Borobudur had greatly deteriorated due to the effects of weather and human intervention. Working through UNESCO, it took a monumental effort on the part of experts from around the world to restore the site. The conservation and preservation of Borobudur is a prime example of international cooperation. The Central Office Study and Conservation of Borobudur is monitoring the site on an ongoing basis.