Sewu Temple is a Buddhist temple built in the 8th century which is only eight hundred meters to the north of Prambanan temple. Sewu is the second largest Buddhist temple complex after Borobudur temple in Central Java. Sewu older than the temple of Prambanan. Although there were originally 249 temples, by the local people of this temple called Candi “Sewu” which means “thousand” in Javanese. Naming is based on the story of the legend of Loro Jonggrang.

History
Based on the inscription of 792 and was found in 1960, the original name of this building is “Manjus’ri Grha” (House of Manjusri). Manjusri is one Boddhisatwa in the teachings of the Buddha. Sewu could have been built in the 8th century BC by the end of the reign of Rakai Panangkaran. Rakai Panangkaran (746-784) was an eminent king of the ancient Mataram kingdom. This temple complex may be renovated, expanded, and completed in the reign of Rakai Pikatan, a prince from the dynasty of Sanjaya who married Pramodhawardhani Sailendra dynasty. After Sanjaya dynasty ruling the people still adhere to the previous religion. The existence of a patterned Sewu buddha temple side by side with a patterned Prambanan Hindu temple shows that since ancient times in Java, Hindus and Buddhists live in harmony and religious tolerance. Because of the complex grandeur and breadth of this temple, the temple is a Buddhist temple allegedly Sewu Kingdom, as well as centers of religious activity is an important Buddha in the past. Candi Prambanan is located in the valley that stretches from the southern slopes of Mount Merapi in the north to the mountains Sewu in the south, around the border of Yogyakarta, Klaten regency, Central Java. In this valley scattered temples and ancient site which is only a few hundred yards of each other. This suggests that this region is an important region in the religious sector, politics and urban life of ancient Javanese society.

This temple was severely damaged by the earthquake in May 2006 in Yogyakarta. Very real damage to building structures and the main temple suffered the most severe damage. Fragments of rocks strewn on the ground, cracks and fractures the connection between rock visible. To prevent collapse of buildings, steel frame mounted on four corners of the building to support and hold the body of the main temple. Although the site was reopened to visitors a few weeks later after an earthquake in 2006, the entire section of the main temple remains closed and may not be accessible for security reasons.

Temple complex

Sewu temple complex is a collection of the biggest buddha temple in the area around Prambanan, with span size of land 185 meters north-south and 165 meters east-west. The entrance to the complex can be found in all 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-sized statue guards around 2 meters height is in reasonably good condition, and the replicas can be found at the Sultan Palace.

Originally there were 249 temples in this complex of buildings are arranged to form the mandala, the embodiment of the universe in Mahayana Buddhist cosmology. Besides the main temple of the largest one, on the stretch of the central axis, the north-south and east-west, at a distance of 200 meters of each other, between the rows of the 2nd and the 3rd temple ancillary (guard), there are 8 small corner temple also called Main ancillary temples, the temples are the second largest in size after the main temple. Originally in every corner of the wind there each pair of temples across the line of sight, but now only over the twin temples of the eastern and northern parts of the temple are still intact.

Chapel (guards) that the original smaller size consists of 240 pieces with a similar design and is composed of four concentric rows. Viewed from the deepest part (center), the first line consists of 28 temples, and the second row consists of 44 temples that are arranged with certain intervals. The two outermost row, third row consists of 80 temples, while the fourth row of the outer consisting of 88 small temples which are close together. Some of this chapel has been restored and stand, while most others are still in the form of scattered stones.

Of the four lines of this chapel, the fourth row (outer) has a similar design to form the first line (the deepest), namely in the goalkeeper sectional doors, while the second and third row has a higher shape design with a different wicket door. Many statues and ornaments that have been lost and its structure has changed. Buddha statues that used to fill these temples mengkin similar to the Buddha statues at Borobudur. [1].

The temples are smaller around the main temple of the most great but some parts are no longer intact. Behind the 4th row of small temples are stone floored courtyard and stood in the middle of the main temple.

The main temple

The main temple has a floor plan polygon angle 20 which resembles a cross or cross with a diameter of 29 meters and height of the building reaches 30 meters. At each corner of the wind there is the structure of the building that juts out, each with a ladder and a separate room and was crowned the composition of the stupa. The entire building is made of andesite stone. The room at the four corners of the compass are inter-connected by a gallery corner fenced ledge. Based on the findings at the time of restoration, estimated the preliminary draft of the main temple building just a single room. This temple was later expanded by adding additional structures around it. Doors are made for connecting an additional building with the main temple and created main temple building with five rooms. The main room in the middle of larger with a higher roof, and can be entered through the eastern room. Now there are no statues in the fifth room. [2]. However, based on a foundation or a carved stone lotus throne in the main room, allegedly used in this room there is a bronze statue of Buddha from a height of 4 meters. But now the statue had been lost, may have been plundered to take the metal since centuries ago.