Plaosan

The Plaosan temple complex, just east of Prambanan, is a ninth-century Buddhist ensemble notable for the harmony it shows between Buddhist and Hindu dynasties, said to have been built through a royal marriage. Two nearly identical main temples stand side by side, each housing serene stone bodhisattva figures, surrounded by rows of small shrines and votive stupas. Finely carved reliefs of donors and celestial beings decorate the walls. Set amid open ricefields with Mount Merapi on the horizon, the restored temples offer a peaceful encounter.