Roro Jonggrang

The Legend of Rara Jonggrang (Javanese: , alternative

spellings: Roro Jonggrang, Loro Jonggrang or Lara Jonggrang) is a
Javanese popular legend (folktales) from Central Java telling the story of love
and betrayal, the knight and the cursed princess. It also explains the mythical
origin of Ratu Boko palace, Sewu temple, and the Durga statue in Prambanan
temple compound. The title Rr (pronounced Roro) is ancient Javanese
honorific title to address noble maidens (virgins) or unmarried princesses, thus
the name Rara Jonggrang in Javanese means 'Slender Virgin'.

Summary
The legend tells the story about two ancient and neighbouring kingdoms in
Java, Pengging and Boko.

Pengging was prosperous, and wisely ruled by its king Prabu Damar Moyo
who had a son named Bandung Bondowoso. By contrast, Boko was ruled by a
cruel man-eating giant named Prabu Boko, supported by another giant Patih
Gupolo. Despite his unpleasant nature, Prabu Boko had a beautiful daughter
named Rara Jonggrang.
The statue of Durga Mahisasuramardiniin
The story relates that Prabu Boko desired to expand his kingdom, and so began
the northern cella of Shiva temple, thought
training an army and raising taxes for an invasion of Pengging. His forces to be Princess Rara Jonggrang
launched a surprise attack on Pengging, and the ensuring war caused
devastation and famine on both sides. In order to defeat the invader, Prabu
Damar Moyo sent his son Bandung Bondowoso to fight Prabu Boko. After a furious
battle, Prabu Boko was killed by the prince's supernatural powers. His assistant, the
giant Patih Gupolo, led his armies away from the battlefield in defeat.

Returning to Boko Palace, Patih Gupolo told princess Rara Jonggrang of the death of
her father. The princess was heartbroken, but before she could recover from her grief
the Pengging army besieged and captured the palace. Prince Bandung Bondowoso
was mesmerized by the beauty of the mourning princess and proposed marriage, but
his offer was swiftly rejected. Bandung Bondowoso insisted on the union, and
Shiva temple, the main temple at
finally Rara Jonggrang agreed on two impossible conditions: first the prince must Prambanan
build a well named Jalatunda, and second, he must construct a thousand temples in
only one night.

The love-struck prince agreed, and immediately started work on the well. Using his supernatural powers once again, the prince
swiftly finished construction and proudly displayed his work for the princess. As a trick, she urged him to enter the well and when he
did so, Patih Gupolo piled stones into it and buried him alive. With great effort Bandung Bondowoso escaped, but his love for the
princess was so strong that he forgave her the attempt on his life.

To fulfill the second condition, the prince entered into meditation and conjured up a multitude of demon spirits from the earth. With
their help he built the first 999 temples and started work on the final one. To thwart his efforts the princess and her maids lit a fire in
the east and begin pounding rice, a traditional dawn activity. Fooled into thinking the sun was about to rise, the spirits fled back into
the earth leaving the last temple unfinished.
The prince was furious when he learned of this deception, and placed a curse on Rara Jonggrang, which turned her into a stone statue.
In this way she herself became a feature of the final temple, completing its construction and fulfilling the conditions for their
marriage.

The Interpretation
This legend is a local popular folklore that connects and explains the
supernatural origin of Central Java's famous archaeological sites;
such as of the Ratu Boko palace, the Durga statue in northern
cella/chamber of the main Prambanan shrine, and the Sewu temple
complex nearby. Although the temples itself dated from circa 9th
century, the legend was composed in later times, probably during
Mataram Sultanate era.

According to tradition, this thousandth temple is part of the Sewu

temple compound (Sewu means "thousands" in Javanese), and the
Princess is the image ofDurga in the north cell of the Shiva temple at A depiction of the legend on an Indonesian stamp
Prambanan, still known as Rara Jonggrang orSlender Virgin.

Another interpretation mentioned that this legend could be a collective but vague local memory about past historical events that
happened in the area, staged around the 9th century struggle for power between the Sailendra and the Sanjaya dynasty for control of
Central Java. King Boko is probably inspired by the KingSamaratungga of Sailendra dynasty, Bandung Bondowoso isRakai Pikatan,
a prince of Sanjaya dynasty, and Rara Jongrang is Pramodhawardhani, wife of Rakai Pikatan and the daughter of Sailendran king.
The actual historical event was probably the contest of power between Balaputradewa, the Sailendran heir, against his sister,
Pramodhawardhani, aided by her husband, Rakai Pikatan, which led to Pikatan as the victor, thus ending the Sailendran rule on
Central Java.

External links
Cerita Rakyat Nusantara
Soul of Java, Loro Jonggrang

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This page was last edited on 19 October 2017, at 02:53.

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