kandi prambanan Culture and heritage of Indonesia

Prambanan is the largest Hindu temple compound in Indonesia, and one of the largest Hindu temples in Southeast Asia, located approximately 18 kilometers (11 mi) east of Yogyakarta in Central Java. Characterized by tall and pointed architecture, and by the 47 meters (150 ft) high central building inside a large complex of individual temples, Prambanan exemplifies Hindu temple architecture. UNESCO designated the temple a World Heritage Site in 1991.

Although enormous manpower, talent, and money went into the compound, it had a short life as an active temple. Devotees abandoned the compound shortly after its completion in 850 C.E. After its rediscovery, reconstruction began in 1918 and has been an ongoing project, with the main building completed in 1953. What caused Hindu devotees to abandon Prambanan shortly after completion is a matter of speculation. Typically, Hinduism outside India has been short lived. It may be safe to say that when the dynastic power which installed Hinduism in conquered nations fell or departed, Hinduism also dissipated shortly thereafter, leaving behind magnificent temples as a testament to its presence. That may well have been the case with Prambanan.