Sewu temple located in the village of Bugisan, Prambanan district, Klaten, Central Java Province. Sewu temple is adjacent to Prambanan, some 800 meters north part.
Sewu temple was built in the 8th century AD, on the orders of the ruler of the Mataram kingdom at that time, namely Rakai Rakai Pikatan Panangkaran and homage to the Hindu religion. Although the king of Hindu Mataram kingdom when received strong influence of Buddhist Sailendra dynasty. Experts suspect that Sewu is the centre of Buddhism. The assumption is based on the content of andesite stone inscription found on one ancillary temples. The inscription is written in Old Malay years known as the inscription Manjusrigrta. In the inscription was told about perfecting prasada named Wajrasana Manjusrigrha in 792 AD. Manjusri name is also mentioned in the inscription of Kelurak in the year 782 AD and it was found near the Barns temple.
Sewu temple located adjacent included in the tourist area of Prambanan. In tourist areas there is also a temple and temple Bubrah barn. Not far from the area there are also several other temples, namely: Gana temple, about 300 meters to the east, Temple Kulon approximately 300 meters to the west and Lor temple about 200 meters to the north. The layout Sewu and Prambanan temples, which is a Hindu Buddhist temple, shows that at that time the Hindu and Buddhist communities coexist harmoniously.
Sewu name in Javanese means thousand, indicating that the temple Sewu is large enough, although it is not really up to 1000 pieces. The temple is cluster number 249 temples, the main temple consists of 1,8 flanking temples and 240 ancillary temples. The main temple is located in the centre and surrounded by flanking temples and ancillary temples in a symmetrical arrangement. Sewu temple has 4 entrance to the outer court, which is on the east, west, north and south and each guarded by a pair of statues Dwarapala opposite.