Sewu Temple is a Buddhist temple built in the 8th century, which is only eight hundred meters to the north of Prambanan Temple. Sewu temple complex is the second largest Buddhist temple after the temple of Borobudur in Central Java. Sewu temple older than the temple of Prambanan. Although originally there were 257 temples, by the local community of this temple is called Temple "Sewu" which means "thousand" in Javanese. The naming is based on the legend Loro Jonggrang .Based on the inscription dated 792 and was discovered in 1960, the original name of this building is "Manjus'ri Grha" (House of Manjusri). Manjusri is one of the teachings of buddha Boddhisatwa. Estimated Sewu Temple was built in the 8th century BC at the end of the reign of Rakai Panangkaran. Rakai Panangkaran (746 to 784) was king of the kingdom of Mataram termahsyur Ancient. This temple complex may be renovated, expanded, and completed in the reign of Rakai Pikatan, a prince of the dynasty who married Sanjaya Pramodhawardhani Sailendra dynasty. After Sanjaya dynasty remained in power the people embraced the religion earlier. The existence of a patterned temple buddha Sewu side by side with a patterned Prambanan Hindu shows that since time immemorial in Java Hindus and Buddhists live in harmony and religious intolerance. Because of the complex grandeur and breadth of this temple, the temple is a temple allegedly Sewu Buddhist kingdom, as well as the center of religious activities are important buddha in the past. This temple is located in the Prambanan valley which stretches from the southern slope of Mount Merapi in the north to the mountains in the south Sewu, around the border of Yogyakarta in Klaten regency, Central Java. In this valley scattered temples and archaeological sites is only a few hundred yards of each other. This shows that this region is an important area in the religious sector, politics, and urban life of the ancient Javanese society.
This temple was badly damaged by an earthquake in May 2006 in Yogyakarta. Damage to the building structure is very real and the main temple suffered the most severe damage. Rock fragments scattered on the ground, cracks and cracks between stones visible connection. To prevent the collapse of buildings, steel frame mounted on four corners of the building to support and hold the main temple body. Although the site reopened to visitors a few weeks later after the earthquake in 2006, all the main temple remains closed and off limits for security reasons.
Temple complex.
Sewu temple complex is a collection of the biggest buddha temple in the area around Prambanan, a landscape the size of land 185 meters north-south and 165 meters east-west. The entrance to the complex can be found in the four corners of the compass, but look at the composition of the building, known to the main entrance is located on the east side. Each entrance is guarded by a pair of statues Dwarapala. Giant statues guard the high measuring about 2 meters in good condition, and a replica can be found at the Yogyakarta Palace. Originally there were 257 temples in the complex of buildings is arranged to form mandala, manifestation of the universe in the Mahayana Buddhist cosmology. Small temple consisting of 248 men with a similar design and is composed of four concentric rows. The two outer rows consist of 176 small temples arranged nearby. While the two innermost lines 72 consisting of a rather large temple is composed by a certain distance interval. Many statues and ornaments that had been lost and its structure has changed. Buddha statues that used to fill these temples are similar to mengkin buddha statues at Borobudur.
On the stretch of the central axis, the north-south and east-west, at 200 meters distance from each other, Atara row-2 and to 3 small temples are temples perwara (guards), the temples are the second largest in size after the main temple. The original in every corner of the compass are each a pair of temples perwara the line of sight, but now only perwara twin temples of the east and north perwara temple are still intact. Temples smaller surround the main temple of the greatest, but some parts are no longer intact. Rows behind the small temple there are 4 bare stone courtyard and the main temple stands in center.
The main temple has a plan of polygons that resembles the 20-angle cross or a cross 29 meters in diameter and height of the building reaches 30 meters. At every corner there are cardinal structure jutting out, each with its own staircase and the room arrangement and crowned with a stupa. The entire building is made of andesite stone. The room in the four cardinal directions are mutually connected by a gallery corner fenced balcony. Based on the findings at the time of restoration, estimated initial design of the building just a single-room main temple. This temple was later expanded by adding additional structures around it. The door is made to connect additional buildings to the main temple and created main temple building with five rooms. The main room in the middle of larger higher roof, and can be entered through the eastern room. Now there are five statues in this room. However, based on a foundation or carved stone lotus throne in the main room, allegedly used in this room there is a statue bronze buddha of the material that reaches 4 feet tall. But now the statue was gone, may have been plundered to take the metal since centuries ago.
source: wikipedia
