Yet the region was not wholly Buddhist. Not far from Boroboedoer and
apparently of about the same age is the Sivaite temple of Banon, and
the great temple group of Prambanam is close to Kalasan and to the
other Buddhist shrines mentioned above. It consists of eight temples
of which four are dedicated to Brahma, Siva, Vishnu and Nandi
respectively, the purpose of the others being uncertain. The largest
and most decorated is that dedicated to Siva, containing four
shrines in which are images of the god as Mahadeva and as Guru, of
Ganesa and of Durga. The balustrade is ornamented with a series of
reliefs illustrating the Ramayana. These temples, which appear to be
entirely Brahmanic, approach in style the architecture of eastern Java
and probably date from the tenth century, that is about a century
later than the Buddhist monuments. But there is no tradition or other
evidence of a religious revolution.

The temples on the Dieng plateau are also purely Brahmanic and
probably older, for though we have no record of their foundation, an
inscribed stone dated 800 A.D. has been found in this district. The
plateau which is 6500 feet high was approached by paved roads or
flights of stairs on one of which about 4000 steps still remain.
Originally there seem to have been about 40 buildings on the plateau
but of these only eight now exist besides several stone foundations
which supported wooden structures. The place may have been a temple
city analogous to Girnar or Satrunjaya, but it appears to have been
deserted in the thirteenth century, perhaps in consequence of volcanic
activity. The Dieng temples are named after the heroes of the
Mahabharata (Tjandi Ardjuno, Tjandi Bimo, etc.), but these appear to
be late designations. They are rectangular towerlike shrines with
porches and a single cellule within. Figures of Brahma, Siva and
Vishnu have been discovered, as well as spouts to carry off the
libation water.

Before leaving mid Java I should perhaps mention the relatively modern
(1435-1440 A.D.) temples of Suku. I have not seen these buildings, but
they are said to be coarse in execution and to indicate that they were
used by a debased sect of Vishnuites. Their interest lies in the
extraordinary resemblance which they bear to the temples of Mexico and
Yucatan, a resemblance "which no one can fail to observe, though no
one has yet suggested any hypothesis to account for it."[413]

The best known and probably the most important mo