CANDI LORO JONGGRANG INDONESIA

Central Java, Indonesia
Loro Jonggrang in Prambanan is the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia. Located 18 km (11 mi) NE of Yogyakarta, along the road to Surakarta, it was built c. 850 AD or later, either by Rakai Pikatan or by one of the other Sanjaya rulers of Mataram.
The complex was damaged by an earthquake in 2006. Currently (2008), it is partially accessible to visitors, in the midst of ongoing repairs. This view from the northeast shows the Vishnu (far right), Shiva (center, tallest), Nandi (left, scaffolded) and other temples in the complex, whose plan is illustrated on the next page.

The great temple of Shiva at Loro Jonggrang is the largest and principal temple at that complex; the Sanjayas of Mataram were primarily Shiva worshipers, although they also paid their respects to the other gods (Brahma, Vishnu) of the Trimurti.
Uniquely among the temples of Loro Jonggrang, Candi Shiva has four, not one, directional entrances; this alone, even discounting its size, would be sufficient evidence for the primacy of Shiva worship here. Located in the temple, but not visitable in 2008, are the main statue of Shiva in the central cella, flanked by statues of Durga, Ganesha, and Agastya in the north, west, and south chambers respectively.
The stairs from ground level lead up to the body of the temple through imposing gates that are themselves fashioned like miniature shrines, as seen at the corners of this photograph. The balustrades are decorated with scenes from the Ramayana (see following pages), an oddity because Rama is an incarnation of Vishnu, not Shiva. Evidently here, as throughout Southeast Asia, the story of Rama became so culturally powerful from early times that it was appropriated in every possible context, even by rulers who owed their theological allegiance to Shiva rather than Vishnu.

Plan Of Loro Jonggrang

Central Java, Indonesia
The east-facing complex measures about 110m (360 ft) on a side. It is dedicated to the Trimurti - Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu - and the temple of each god is faced by the temple of his vehicle. Smaller shrines, a few of which have been reconstructed, are also found in the complex. Shiva, the central and largest temple, measures 34m (111 ft) on a side and 47m (154 ft) high. Each of the three major temples retains its principal statue in the central chamber (the Shiva temple also has statues in three side chambers); most of these were not accessible in 2008, due to the ongoing repair work.

Statue Of Vishnu

Candi Vishnu, Loro Jonggrang
A worn but still impressive statue of Vishnu occupies the cella of his temple. The four-armed god holds the usual chakra and conch in his upper hands. A club, now broken in the middle, extends downward at the viewer's left. The now-erased lower right attribute is harder to identify, but a lotus would be typical in this murti. An offering run-off channel extends to the viewer's right from the base of the statue.

Kinnara Reliefs

Candi Vishnu, Loro Jonggrang
A band of relief panels along the back and sides of Candi Vishnu show, in each panel, a pair of kinnaras - the Hindu bird-men and women of the heavenly courts - on either side of a floral design, with a pair of flying birds in the upper corners. Although these conventional decorations are repeated in similar panels all across the entire base, they were given individuality by the skill of the artist, as illustrated by the two panels above. Similar reliefs are also carved along the base of Candi Shiva, arguing a unified program of construction and decoration for the temples in the Loro Jonggrang group.