Pranbanan, along with Borobudur, is one of the wonders around Jogjakarta, Indonesia, and draws in thousands of tourists each year. This UNESCO World Heritage site lies 18 km outside of the center of Jogjakarta and easily reached either by renting a motorbike (about US$5 for the day), or, more easily, by joining a tour or hiring a car and driver for the day (US$45 for the car & driver).
Prambanan is the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia and one of the largest in all of Asia. It was originally built around 850 CE, but was then abandoned less than 100 years later when the group of people responsible for the construction moved further to the east part of Java. Standing on the grounds, it’s amazing to think that after completing such a monumental task, that the people would just up and leave. It would be like building the pyramids only to grind them down a few years later when you need sand for the sand traps on your golf course. Of course, one of the possible reasons for the migration was the eruption of a nearby volcano, and since this temple predates lava insurance, it is somewhat more understandable. Additionally, a large part of the temple was destroyed later in an earthquake in the 1700s. Since then, a large amount of restoration work has gone into recompleting the temple.
Read more