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Kalasan (, Javanese: ꦕꦟ꧀ꦝꦶꦏꦭꦱꦤ꧀, Candhi Kalasan), also known as Candi Kalibening, is an 8th-century Buddhist temple in Java, Indonesia. It is located east of Yogyakarta on the way to Prambanan temple, on the south side of Jalan Solo main road (part of Indonesian National Route 15) between Yogyakarta and Surakarta. Administratively, it is located in the Kalasan District ( kapanewon) of Sleman Regency.
In addition, a Vihara (monastery) was built for Buddhist monks from the Sailendra family's realm. Panangkaran awarded the Kalaça village to Sangha (Buddhist monastic community).Soetarno, Drs. R. second edition (2002). "Aneka Candi Kuno di Indonesia" (Ancient Temples in Indonesia), pp. 41. Dahara Prize. Semarang. . According to the date of this inscription, Kalasan temple is the oldest of the temples built in the Prambanan Plain.
Despite being renovated and partially rebuilt during the Dutch colonial era, the temple is currently in poor condition. Compared to other temples nearby such as Prambanan, Candi Sewu, and Sambisari the temple is not well maintained.
The roof of the temple is designed in three sections. The lower one is still according to the polygonal shape of the body and contains small niches with statues of bodhisattvas seated on a lotus. Each of these niches is crowned with stupas. The middle part of the roof is octagon (eight-sided) shape. Each of these eight sides adorned with niches contains a statue of a Dhyani Buddha flanked by two standing bodhisattvas.Soetarno, Drs. R. second edition (2002). "Aneka Candi Kuno di Indonesia" (Ancient Temples in Indonesia), pp. 45. Dahara Prize. Semarang. . The top part of the roof is almost circular and also has 8 niches crowned with a single large stupa. The octagonal aspect of the structure has led to speculation of non-Buddhist elements in the temple, similar to some interpretations of the early Borobudur structure.
The temple is facing east, with the eastern room also serving as access to the main central room. In the larger main room, there is a lotus pedestal and throne carved with makara, lion, and elephant figures, similar to the Buddha Vairocana throne found in Mendut temple. According to the Kalasan inscription, the temple once houses the large (probably reaching 4 meters tall) statue of the Boddhisattvadevi Tara. By the design of the throne, most probably the statue of the goddess was in a seated position and made from bronze. Now the statue is missing, probably the same fate as the bronze Buddha statue in Sewu temple, being looted for scrap metal over centuries.
On the outer wall of the temple found traces of plaster called vajralepa (lit: diamond plaster). The same substance was also found in the nearby Candi Sari temple. The white-yellowish plaster was applied to protect the temple wall, but now the plaster has worn off.
The temple is located on the archaeologically rich Prambanan plain. Just a few hundred meters northeast of Kalasan temple is located Sari temple. Candi Sari was most probably the monastery mentioned in the Kalasan inscription. Further east lies the Prambanan complex, Sewu temple, and Candi Plaosan temple.
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