Sewu Temple is located in Bugisan village, Prambanan, Klaten, Central Java. Sewu temple is adjacent to Prambanan, some 800 meters north part. Built in the 8th century AD, on the orders of the Mataram kingdom ruler at that time. He was Rakai Pikatan Panangkaran an homage to the Hindu religion. Although the Mataram kingdom was Hindu, they received strong influence from the Syailendra Buddhist Dynasty. The assumption is based on the content of an andesite stone inscription found on the ancillary temple. The written inscription in Old Malay years is known as the inscription Manjusrigrta. The inscription told about perfecting Prasada named Wajrasana Manjusrigrha in 792 AD. Manjusri's name is also mentioned in the Kelurak inscription in the year 782 AD and found near the Lumbung temple.
The Sewu temple is in Prambanan tourism parks. The Lumbung and Bubrah are not far from 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 of Sewu and Prambanan temples are Hindu-Buddhist temples. At that time, Hindu and Buddhist communities coexisted harmoniously.
Sewu's name in Javanese means one thousand, indicating that the Sewu temple is large enough, although it is not up to 1000 pieces. The complex cluster of 249 temples, the main temple consists of 1.8 flanking temples and 240 ancillary temples. The main temple lies in the center, and it's surrounded by flanking temples and ancillary temples in a symmetrical arrangement. Sewu temple has four entrances at the east, west, north, and south, and each is guarded by a couple of Dwarapala statues that lie opposite.