Legend of Roro Jonggrang

wikipedia

According to the story, long ago in Central Java there are two kingdoms, the Pengging Kingdom and Kingdom of Baka. Both were neighboring kingdoms.

Pengging governed by King Damar Maya who has a handsome and mighty son named Bandung Bandawasa. Pengging is a peaceful, tranquil, and prosperous kingdom.

Kingdom of Baka  led by a giant  who liked to eat humans, assisted by the loyal chief minister, a giant, namely Dupala. Even so, King Baka has a human daughter which is very beautiful named Roro Jonggrang.

To expand its territory,King Baka prepared the troops and equipment to attack the  Pengging kingdom. When attacking Pengging, King Baka led by his own assisted by Dupala.
 
King  Damar Maya told his son Bandung Bandawasa  to face King Baka. Bandung Bandawasa won the battle and King Baka died. Knowing his King killed, Dupala fled back to his palace to tell the princess Roro Jonggrang. Knowing her father died Roro Jonggrang very sad and angry.

Meanwhile as Bandung Bandawasa knew Durpala escape, he chase to get him into Baka Kingdom. Bandung Bandawasa look around the palace but did not find him. It was then that he saw Roro Jonggrang is grieving. Bandung Bandawasa was mesmerized her beauty.

Bandung Bandawasa fell in love with Roro Jonggrang. Then he asked her to become his wife. Of course Roro Jonggrang refused to marry the man who killed his father and seize his kingdom.
But Bandung Bandawasa force continues. Roro Jonggrang finally accepted it with very hard conditions that Bandung Bandawasa should make a well called Jalatunda and built a thousand statues in just one night.

Although it’s very hard and ridiculous, Bandung Bandawasa agreed. So he worked with his mighty  and called all demons from far below the earth to help him.

Some time later, the well Jalatunda finish construction. Roro Jonggrang surprised because Bandung Bandawasa doing very quickly. With tricky purposes, Roro Jonggrang pretend to see it. She came with Dupala. Then as proof, she told Bandung Bandawasa to go down into the well.

When Bandung Bandawasa in well, Roro Jonggrang and Dupala closed from the outside. But with his mighty, Bandung Bandawasa successfully smashed and out. He is very angry at Roro Jonggrang. But with the coaxing Roro Jonggrang finally managed to make Bandung Bandawasa forgive her.

Midnight, Bandung Bandawasa has completed approximately 999 statues mean only one uncompleted. Roro Jonggrang very frightened. Finally she called all the maidens in the palace and the women in her territory then told them to pound rice and straw burning in the east up to the sky appear reddish.

Roosters crowed guessing the sun had risen. And the demons that assist in Bandung Bandawasa escape back into the earth guessing the day's morning, left all the work that almost complete behind.

Bandung Bandawasa very angry knowing Roro Jonggrang tricked and he cursed the beautiful princess to become a statue. So he made 1000 as requested which is Roro Jonggrang as the thousandth statue herself.

FACTS

wikipedia

The statue that mentioned as the embodiment of Roro Jonggrang is in Prambanan Hindu temple complex. Many people call  Prambanan Temple as Roro Jonggrang temple. The truth of the historical backgrounds are unrelated.

Prambanan temple is a  Hindu temple built by the Sanjaya Dynasty around 8^th century with Trimuti concept of Hindu deities, namely Brahma, Vishnu and Syiva. In the Prambanan complex, Syiva temple is the center and the largest one. Which shows that the Prambanan is Hindu Syiva temple.

Besides Syiva statue, in three other temples there are statues of Brahma, Vishnu and Durga. Durga is the wife Syiva. Prambanan is presented to Goddess Durga. Statue of Goddess Durga is then linked to relate with Roro Jonggrang in folklore in the Prambanan area.

Roro Jonggrang story was expected as a vague collective memory of the community at that time, about ​​the historical event of the fight over power between Sanjaya Dynasty (Hindu Mataram Kingdom) that authorities in Central Java and Syailendra Dynasty (Buddha Mataram).

King Sanjaya was Rakai Pikatan (called Bandung Bandawasa) who married Pramodhawardani (called Roro Jonggrang) who is the daughter of the King of  Samarottungga (called Prabu Baka). Pramodhawardani assisted by Rakai Pikatan against Samarottungga. With Sanjaya victory ended the dominance of Syailendra in Central Java.

Prambanan temple is located in the town of Klaten, around 120 km from Semaranog the capital city of Central Java, and only 20 km from Yogyakarta. This beautiful temple is one of the most visit destination by local or foreign tourist . In 1991 the site was officially declared as a world heritage protected by UNESCO.

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