History Prambanan Temple

Prambanan is the largest Hindu temple and grandest ever built in the ancient Javanese kingdom Hindu temple construction was started by Rakai Pikatan as a rival Buddhist temple of Borobudur and Sewu temple which is located not far from Prambanan. Some historians have long suspected that the construction of grand Hindu temple to mark the return to power Sanjaya family on Java, it is related to the theory of the twin house of different beliefs competing; namely the Sanjaya dynasty of Hindu and Buddhist Sailendra dynasty. Surely, with the construction of this temple indicate that Hinduism Saiwa back the support of the royal family, after the Sailendra dynasty tend to be more supportive Mahayana Buddhist. It is marked that the kingdom Medang switch focus their religious support, from Mahayana Buddhism to the cult of Shiva.

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The building was first built around 850 AD by Rakai Pikatan and continuously refined and expanded by King Lokapala and king Balitung Maha Sambu. Based on the inscriptions Siwagrha to the year 856 AD, the sacred building was built to honor the god Shiva, and the original name of the building is in Sanskrit is Siwagrha (Sanskrit: Shiva-grha which means: 'The house of Shiva') or Siwalaya (Sanskrit: Shiva-laya that means: 'Realm of Shiva' or 'Natural Shiva'). In this inscription mentioned that during the construction of the temple Siwagrha ongoing, carried out public works also changes in the water system to move the streams near this temple. River in question is the Peel river that flows from north to south along the west side of the temple complex of Prambanan. Historians suspect that the original flow of the river curving turn towards the east, and is considered too close to the temple so that erosion of the river could endanger the construction of the temple. This water system project done by creating a new river that cuts spatula curved river with the north-south axis along the west wall outside the temple complex. Former river channel original and then backfilled to provide broader land for the construction of a row of ancillary temple (temple or temple guards escort).Some archaeologists believe that the Shiva statue in Garbhagriha (main hall) in the Shiva temple as the main temple is a statue of the king Balitung embodiment, as the statue pedharmaan him posthumously.This building complex periodically continue to be refined by the kings of Mataram Medang the next, like a king Daksha and Tulodong, and expanded by constructing additional hundreds of temples around the main temple. Because of the grandeur of this temple, Prambanan temple serves as a grand temple Mataram Kingdom, where important ceremonies convening various kingdoms. At the height of its glory, historians suspect that hundreds of pastors brahmin and his students gathered and inhabit the outer court of the temple to study the Vedas and implement various Hindu rituals and ceremonies. While the center of the Mataram kingdom palace royal or supposedly located somewhere near Prambanan in Kewu Plain.

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