Banyunibo

Banyunibo is a 9th-century Buddhist temple located in Cepit hamlet, Bokoharjo village, Prambanan, Sleman Regency, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The temple, dating from the era of Medang Kingdom, sits in a narrow valley surrounded by paddy fields about two kilometers southeast of the Ratu Boko archaeological park on the east side of modern Yogyakarta. Further north is the Prambanan temple, and to the south are the Gunung Sewu hills, extension of Gunung Kidul hills.ArchitectureBanyunibo has a curved rooftop design crowned with a solitary stupa; this theme is unique among the surviving Buddhist temples of Central Java. The curved rooftop was either meant to symbolize lotus or padma petals, or meant to mimic the organic roof made from ijuk fibres (black fibres surrounding the trunk of Arenga pinnata) common in ancient Java vernacular architecture and also found today in Balinese temple roof architecture. The main structure was originally surrounded by stupas at ground level, the foundations of which can still be seen today. The stupas' foundations are arranged in a row of three stupas in south side of the temple, and three stupas on the east side. The northern side probably also contain the base of three stupas, however it still buried under a meter thick of earth. The main temple is facing west.

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