Penataran temple is the largest and most important Hindu temple in East Java. It lies just 10 Kilometers north of Blitar on the lower slopes of Mt. Kelud. Dedicated to the god Siva. the temple was in use for at least three hundred years, from the 12th to 15th centuries. Most of the buildings which can be seen today were constructed during Majapahit's golden century.
The layout of the temple is similar to that found in the Balinese "pura" today. A number of small buildings are scattered within a sacred, walled enclosure, with the largest and most important temple at the rear of the complex, Hindu legends, among them the Ramayana epic, are carved in relief on the temple walls and terrace foundations. |
