Plaosan Temple

About this place

Plaosan is a ninth-century Buddhist temple complex in Bugisan village, Klaten, Central Java, about 2 km north-east of Prambanan Temple. Its heart, Plaosan Lor, has two near-identical main temples side by side, facing west, hence its local name, the twin temple. The smaller southern group, Plaosan Kidul, lies across the road. Short inscriptions on the minor shrines and stupas record dozens of donors; two name Rakai Pikatan, the Hindu king of Mataram. Epigraphist J. G. de Casparis saw the complex as Pikatan's gift to his Buddhist queen Pramodhawardhani of the Sailendra house, a reading still debated. The 2006 earthquake damaged the site, and many small shrines still await rebuilding from their scattered stones. Each main temple has two storeys of three rooms, the upper floors once laid on wooden beams. In the lower rooms, seated stone Bodhisattvas flank empty pedestals that probably held bronze Buddhas. Guides say the carved figures are mostly women on the northern temple and men on the southern, mirroring the royal couple. Rows of small stupas, gate guardians and traces of an old moat surround them, with Merapi to the north on clear days. It lies 17 to 20 km by road from central Yogyakarta, 30 to 45 minutes by car, and pairs well with the Prambanan and Sewu temples nearby, and Ratu Boko, about 4 km south-west. An hour is enough. Far quieter than Prambanan, it is best around 8 a.m. or 3 p.m., as gates may shut by 4 p.m. It remains a Buddhist place of worship, so dress modestly and keep off the stones.