PRAMBANAN
All the temples in the Prambanan area were built between the 8th and 10th centuries AD, when Java was ruled by the Buddhist Sailendras in the South and the Hindu Sanjayas of Old Mataramin the north. Possibly by the second half of the 9th century these two dynasties were united by the marriage of Rakai Pikatam of Hindu Mataram and the Buddhist Sailendra Princess Pramodhavardhani. This may explain why a number of temples, including Prambanan Temple, reveal Shivaite and Buddhist elements in architecture and sculpture.   It is thought that the Prambanan Temple Complex was built by Rakai Pikatan to commemorate the return of a Hindu dynasty to sole power on Java. Some have even suggested that it was intended as a counterpart to Borobodur, but more likely it was a counterpart to Candi Sewu, a Buddhist complex three km away.   The Prambanan Complex comprises three main temples dedicated to the main Hindu gods. The temple dedicated to Shiva is not only the largest of the temples, it is also artistically and architecturally the most perfect. The vibrant scenes carved onto the inner wall of the gallery encircling the temple are from the Ramayana- they tell how lord Rama's wife Sita, is abducted and Hanuman the monkey god and Sugriwa his wife monkey eventually find and released her. In the main chamber, the four armed statue of Shiva the Destroyer is notable for the fact that this mightiest of Hindu god stands on a huge lotus pedestal, a symbol of Buddhism.   The two smaller Brahma and Vishnu Temples flank the large Suva Mahadeva Temple. The Brahma Temple, carved withe the final scene of Ramayana, has a four headed statue of Brahma, the god of creation. Reliefs on the Vishnu Temple tell the story of Lord Krishna, a hero of the Mahabharata epic. Inside is a four armed image of Vishnu the Preserver.