The Legend of Prambanan Temple

The Legend of Prambanan Temple

Long time ago, there were 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 Loro Jonggrang.

Prabu Boko desired to expand his kingdom, and so began training an army and raising taxes for an invasion of Pengging. His forces launch a surprise attack in 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.

He said :

“My son, Bandung Bondowoso, our beloved kingdom is attacked by Prabu Boko and his armies. Now, I feel, I am too old to fight them. But, I believe you are strong and have power to fight and defeat them. So, I order you to go to fight and defeat them.”

Then Bandung Bondowoso replied:

“My beloved father, allright, I’ll go to the battle and defeat them. Pray me for it.”

After a furious battle, Prabu Boko is 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 Loro Jonggrang of the death of her father. The princess was heartbroken. She was deply sad and cried for her father death.

“My beloved father, Prabu Boko, Why do you leave me? Who will protect me? I won’t be able to live alone, without your protection, without your attention. “

“I will never forgive you Bandung Bondowoso. Never”  

But before she could recover from her grief , the Pengging army and captured the palace. When Bandung Bondowoso saw princess Loro Jonggrang, he was mesmerized by the beauty of the mourning princess. At once, hefelt in love with her. He mumbled:

“How beautiful the girl is! If I propose to marry her, will she accept me?”

Then, he came closer to the beautiful princess and said:

“Jonggrang, forgive me, if I’m to brave to say my feeling. Although we, our kingdom always fight, never live in peace. But Jonggrang, forgive me, I must say that I really, really, I can’t help falling in love with you. I can’t kill this felling. Snce the first time I saw you, I had fallen in love with you. Yeah, really. I fall in love with you. Jonggrang, would you marry me?”

Lara Jonggrang was so shocked hearing Bondowoso’s saying. She was so angry. How she could marry the man who had killed her father!

Although she was so angry and rejected his offer, she replied his proposal politely. She realized that she must save her life, her kingdom lost, no one could protect her.

Then she said:

“Prince Bandung Bondowoso, please forgive me. Thanks for your love to me. I really appreciate your feeling, your love, but I ask for your forgiveness that I can’t accept your offer. It is impossible for me to accept it.

But, Bandung Bondowoso insists on the union, and finally Loro Jonggrang agrees on two impossible conditions.

Loro Jonggrang said slyly:

“Prince Bandung Bondowoso, I agree to marry you, if you can fullfill my request. First,  you must built me a well, and the second you must construct a thousand tample in only one night.”

Bandung Bondowoso thought that the two conditions were too hard to fullfill. But, he agree and replied

“Allright Jonggrang, although your conditions are very hard and impossible to be fulfilled, Bandung Bondowoso will do them. For my love to you, whatever you ask, I’ll do.”

The lovestruck prince immediately started working 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 urges him to enter the well and when he did so, Patih Gupolo pilled stones into it and buried him alive. With great effort Bandung Bondowoso escaped but his love for the princess was so strong that she forgave her attempt on his life.

To fullfill 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 working on the final one. To thwart his efforts the princess and her maids lighted a fire in the east and began pounding rice, as traditional dawn activity. Fooled into thinking the sun is about to rise, the spirits flee back into the earth leaving the last tample unfinished.

The prince was furious when he learned of this deception and palced a curse on Loro Jonggrang which turned her into a stone statue.

He was so angry and sad:

“Jonggrang, you are the cause of this unfinished temple. I curse you to to be a stone, the last temple.”

In this way, Loro Jonggrang became a feature of the final temple, completing the construction and fulfilling the conditions for their marriage.

                                                                                                By: SMK Negeri 1 Boyolali