Java – Prambanan, Candi Sewu and Plaosan


yogyakarta prambanan candi sebu plaosan temple

After Borneo a week on Bali was on the plan, but awkward flight connections forced us into a stopover with an overnight stay in Yogyakarta on Java. We had actually wanted to go to the famous Borobudur temple, but a delay put paid to that. So we ended up at three temples near Yogyakarta: Prambanan, Candi Sewu and Plaosan.

An afternoon among the temples

The temples lie close together and can be explored on foot in a leisurely afternoon: old, dark stones amid lots of green.

A detour instead of Borobudur

In the end this detour turned into one of the loveliest surprises of the trip. Prambanan, around 17 kilometres north-east of Yogyakarta, is a 9th-century Hindu temple compound and a UNESCO World Heritage Site; it originally consisted of 240 temples, and the central tower is 47 metres high.

Narrow cloud in the deep blue sky above a layer of haze
A thin cloud in the deep blue – the flight to Yogyakarta.
Pointed temple towers of Prambanan under a grey sky, trees in front
The pointed towers of Prambanan above the trees.
Tall stone tower of Prambanan from below, stairs and smaller spires
The tall main tower of Prambanan, 47 metres of dark stone.
Standing stone figure in a wall niche, temple near Yogyakarta
A standing figure in a wall niche.
Two reliefs: a seated couple and a standing figure, temple near Yogyakarta
A seated couple and a standing figure in relief.
Bulbous stone stupas in a row in front of the wall of Candi Sewu
Bulbous stone stupas in a row before the temple.
Battle relief and seated figures in stone, temple near Yogyakarta
Battle scenes and seated figures carved in stone.
Pointed towers of Prambanan, a person on the curved staircase
The towers of Prambanan, a small figure on the steps.
Central tower of Candi Sewu and smaller shrines above stone blocks
The central tower of Candi Sewu and smaller shrines.
Kneeling guardian figures in front of the pointed towers of Prambanan
Two guardian figures before the towers of Candi Sewu.
Dark tower wall of Prambanan, smaller spires beside it on the left
A dark tower wall, smaller spires on the left.
Dense stone towers of Prambanan, a broken wall stump on the right
Tightly packed stone towers, a stump of wall on the right.
Many small towers around the main building of Candi Sewu, stone blocks in front
Many small towers around the main building of Candi Sewu – old dark stones amid lots of green.
Large masonry stupa with a spire in Candi Sewu, towers in the background
A large masonry stupa with a spire.
Two broad stone temples with many roof spires, Plaosan near Yogyakarta
Plaosan: two broad temples with many spires – the loveliest detour of the trip.

Related posts