Center of Kala Worship

Kala's everywhere. Very often the niches are empty. From what we know of Borobudur and Prambanan these niches were once occupied by Gods or/and Goddesses. Kala thus had to function as the guard/protectress of later Deities

In almost all religions the predecessors are demonized. In Hinduism and Buddhism they subsequently have to serve as guards to the new Gods. What you see are thus distorted images. The Original Mother (Cosmic Womb) is Empty (beyond Emptiness). It means that the Kala devotee is not identifying with the image, but always understands Kala as the Bottomless Vacuum of the universe....

The Mother portrayed as Demon

The famous south gate

Most Javanese call Kala the "God of time". It is a patriachalization, a derivative of the Original Mother. Both Her destructive aspect (Her jaw) as well as Her creative aspect (Tree of Life) are emphasized. She is all-inclusive, radiating limitless power. It is the reason why She appears on countless temples. A "God of Time" would never manage to dominate the way She does. Kalasan is thus the center of pre-Buddhist worship

The most impressive Kala I've ever seen

FACE OF GLORY!
(Kala/Kirtimukha)

Her two Makara's or male aspects

What you see here - left and right of the big Kala Head (see above) - is flabberghasting. Two God statues are portrayed together with on top a Beast Head in a Circle, in its turn surrounded by a Tree of Life. The meaning? The God (successor of the Sacred Beast) is born out of Kala, the Mother, the Cosmic Womb. Together they guarantee fertility, prosperity and protection of the land. Amazing!

You see them everywhere. Not only on Java, but in Europe and the Middle East as well (LINK Istanbul cemetery). It is the Cauldron (Vessel) of Abundance, a symbol of the Cosmic Womb. It is the Essence of the Grail Legend (LINK). It is another proof of the fact, that the memory of the Original Mother was still alive e.g. that people still worshipped Her....

Tara?

Tara is a female Buddha e.g. a Goddess. As such she is a manifestation of Mother Kala, the latter being the Original One. So, it is right to call this temple "Tara temple", as mentioned in the written sources, keeping in mind that Tara is a relative late phenomenon.