Loro Jonggrang: Central Java, Indonesia

By Wombat | July 1st, 2006 | 2 Comments »

Loro Jonggrang temple, more commonly known as Candi Prambanan after its location in the border area between the provinces of Yogyakarta and Central Java, is a group of Hindu temples built by the Sanjaya dynasty in the 9th-century Java.

Loro Jonggrang is the name of a tall princess, the daughter of King Boko from a local legend.

The temple complex has been damaged over the centuries from the migratory shift of kingdoms from Central Java to East Java and the frequent eruption of nearby Mt. Merapi.

The Dutch colonial government had begun renovating Prambanan at the turn of the century, but it proceeded very slowly. The restoration project was continued by the newly established Indonesian government in 1945.

Indonesia’s founding father and first president Sukarno declared the completion of the Prambanan restoration on Dec. 20, 1953, and his successor, Soeharto, maintained upkeep of the temple complex.

A contemporary restoration project was under way when the giant earthquake hit Yogyakarta and Central Java on May 27, and many witnessed the stone bricks and ornamentation of Prambanan falling down to scatter throughout the complex grounds.

Loro Jonggrang is, once again, in mourning.