Photos of Plaosan Lor Temple
About Plaosan Lor Temple
Two almost identical stone temples sit side by side at the Plaosan Lor Temple Complex. That pairing is where the local name comes from, the twin temples. The complex was built in the ninth century as a Buddhist temple but it also has Hindu details all through it. From a distance the two main buildings appear as a matching set. As you get closer the differences begin to appear. Carved figures on the northern temple are female and on the southern one male, which is the difference most people don't often notice. Ranged around the pair are rows of small shrines and stupas, well over a hundred of them. Shooting straight down a line of them so they stack away from you creating amazing leading lines. You can also set up so the two main towers line up so one sits just behind the other, which creates amazing depth to your composition. Ideally try to come early or come later in the day for better light. Midday sun goes flat and hard on grey stone, plus the mornings are much cooler. There's a fee to get in and a car park on site. Wet season floods the surrounding rice fields and greens everything up, dry season gives you clearer skies, so each season will give you completely different pictures. (Klaten, Central Java, Indonesia)
