Kewu Plain

[2] Apart from the Prambanan Roro Jonggrang complex, Kewu Plain along with the valley and hills around it is the location of some of the earliest Hindu-Buddhist temples in Indonesia.

The discoveries of archaeological sites scattered only a few miles away suggested that this area was once an important religious, political, and urban center of central Java.

[3] In 2012, the Balai Pelestarian Peninggalan Purbakala Jawa Tengah (BP3, or the Central Java Heritage Preservation Authority) suggested that the area in and around Prambanan should be treated as a sanctuary.

This was meant to protect this archaeologically rich area from modern-day visual obstructions and the encroachments of hotels, restaurants, and any tourism-related buildings and businesses.

[4] For centuries Prambanan Plain, overshadowed by the Merapi volcano, was known for its rich and fertile volcanic soil perfect for intensive rice cultivation.

Sojiwan temple is on the bottom left and Prambanan temple is on the top right, in the center of Prambanan Plain viewed from Ratu Boko Hill.
Javanese women planting rice in a ricefield near Prambanan , Yogyakarta