The Legend of Princess Loro Jonggrang

Once upon a time in Java Island, especially in Prambanan, there were two Hindu kingdoms, they were Pengging and Kraton Boko. Pengging Kingdom was a prosperous and wealthy kingdom led by a wise king named Prabu Damar Moyo who had a son named Raden Bandung Bondowoso.

Kraton Boko was a part of Pengging Kingdom jurisdiction led by a cruel king that was not a man but a giant who was a man eater, named Prabu Boko. However, Prabu Boko had a very beautiful daughter named Princess Loro Jonggrang. Prabu Boko also had a minister named Patih Gupolo that was a giant too. Prabu Boko had a desire to revolt and had control over Pengging Kingdom. Therefore, together with Patih Boko, they gathered the power by training men to become soldiers and collected goods from civil people as provisions.

After having enough preparation, Prabu Boko and all soldiers went to Pengging Kingdom to revolt. Then the war between Pengging and Boko Soldier happened in Pengging kingdom. A lot of soldiers died from both sides. People of Pengging became poor and suffered from starvation.

Knowing that his people were suffering and there were lots of soldiers died, Prabu Damar Moyo sent his son, Raden Bandung Bondowoso to have a battle with Prabu Boko. The ghting between Raden Bandung Bondowoso and Prabu Boko was very furious. Because of the power of Raden Bandung Bondowoso, Prabu Boko can be defeated, and then he died. When Patih Gupalo found out that his king died, he ran away from the battle. Raden Bandung Bondowoso chased him to Kraton Boko.

After he arrived at Kraton Boko, Patih Gupalo reported to Princess Loro Jonggrang that her father died in the battle, that he was killed by a Pengging knight named Raden Bandung Bondowoso.

Then the princess cried, she was very sad because of the death of her father.

Raden Bandung Bondowoso nally arrived at Kraton Boko. He was surprised when he saw Princess Loro Jonggrang, She was very beautiful so he proposed her to become his wife. However, Princess Loro Jonggrang did not want to marry Raden Bandung Bondowoso because he killed her father. To refuse his proposal, Princess Loro Jonggrang had a strategy. She had two requests that should be ful lled by Raden Bandung Bondowoso so that she would agree to marry him. First, she asked him to make Jalatunda well. Then, she asked him to make 1000 temples in one night.

Raden Bandung Bondowoso accepted the requests. Immediately he started to make Jalatunda well and asked Princess Loro Jonggrang to see it. Then, Princess Loro Jonggrang asked Raden Bandung Bondowoso to go into the well, and after that she ordered Patih Gupolo to pile up the well with stone. Both Princess Loro Jonggrang and Patih Gupolo thought that Raden Bandung Bondowoso already died in the well. However, Raden Bandung Bondowoso was still alive. He meditated and nally he could get out from the well safely.

Raden Bandung Bondowoso was very angry with Princess Loro Jonggrang. However, because of her beauty, he soon forgot about his anger. After that, Princess Loro Jonggrang asked Raden Bandung Bondowoso to do the second request which was to make 1000 temples in one night. Therefore Raden Bandung Bondowoso commanded genies to make the temples immediately. However Princess Loro Jonggrang intended to foil his effort to make the temples. She ordered the girls to pound and burn stubbles, so that the sky looked bright as if the morning had come. That made the cocks crow loudly.

Hearing the cocks crowing, people pounding rice, and seeing the brightness in the east, the genies stopped making temples. Genies reported to Raden Bandung Bondowoso that they could not continue building the temples because the morning had come. Raden Bandung Bondowoso got the feeling that the morning had not come yet. He asked Princess Loro Jonggrang to count the amount of the temples. The total was only 999 temples, so there was still 1 temple left. Therefore, Princess Loro Jonggrang refused to marry Raden Bandung Bondowoso. Feeling deceived, Raden Bandung Bondowoso was very angry and cursed her, “Loro Jonggrang, there is only 1 temple left, let you be the one to make it complete”. It was a miracle that suddenly Princess Loro Jonggrang transformed to a stone statue.

Until today, the stone statue of Princess Loro Jonggrang is still in Candi Prambanan and Raden Bandung Bondowoso cursed the girls around Prambanan area to become old virgins because they helped Princess Loro Jonggrang. Based on what is believed by old people, the couple who are dating in Prambanan temple will break up.

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