indahnesia.com - Prambanan - Brahma Temple - Brahma Temple of the Prambanan

The form and size of Brahma Temples is much similar is much similar to Wisnu Temple. The size of Brahma Temple is 20 x20 meters-square and 23 meters high. Similar to Wisnu Temple, Brahma Temple has one room with one stairway to enter from the east. Inside the room there is four-headed Brahma Statue. At the foot of the temple were found a figure of a priest accompanied by other figures in a position of praying.

The ornaments exist all four sides of the temple. The foot of the temples surrounded by an open veranda with balustrade. At the inner side of the balustrade were relief's which tell the continuation of Ramayana story which were in scripted on Ciwa Temple. At the outer-side of the balustrade were found figure soft priest in the sitting position (praying). Other ornamentals were found at the foot of the temple, similar to that at Ciwa and Wisnu Temple.

Relief of Brahma Temple

According to Bernet Kempers and Sudirman (1974), it was mentioned that the relief at the balustrade of Brahma Temple contained the continuation of Ramayana story, but it turned out that some sequence of the story did not match, so it was not the actual arrangement of the temple stones when the temple was in restoration. Some of the lost stones (with relief) were found nearby the village and were returned back to the original arrangement.

Some of the scenes, which showed apes marching, followed by scenes of the battle between the apes and Rahwana. That battle should ended by the death of the giants (6-12). One of Rahwana's brothers, Kumbokarno was woke up and attacking the apes (6-12). Then Kumbokarno died (8-9) and so was Rahwana (10). After this part of the story, the continuation was found elsewhere.

In a short time, Sinta returned to Rama. Then Sinta was denied by Rama because she had been in Rahwana's palace. It was pictured she went into the wood, crossing the Gangga River (17). At a meditation site, she delivered a baby. Then she was seen picking up flowers with her child (21). On the relief number 25, two teenagers were in battle with a giant.

The actual story revealed that indeed the two teenagers were the children of Sinta going to the palace as singers to see their father. At that time there was a celebration. This part was called the celebration relief (30). This story is as a satire expressing the luxury life of priests. At the end of the story, Sinta was called into Rama's palace to proof her purity.