The Legend of Roro Jonggrang and the 1,000 Temples
Once upon a time, in the heart of Java, there was a powerful kingdom ruled by a mighty king, Prabu
Baka. He was feared by all, but he had something even more precious than his kingdom—his daughter, Princess
Roro Jonggrang. She was as beautiful as the morning sun, with a face that could captivate anyone who laid eyes
on her.
But this beauty came at a price.
One day, a strong and ambitious prince named Bandung Bondowoso, driven by his thirst for power, attacked
Prabu Baka's kingdom. Armed with magic, Bandung Bondowoso summoned mystical spirits and defeated the
king, killing him in battle. Victorious, he stormed the palace, only to stop in his tracks.
There stood Princess Roro Jonggrang, her beauty even more breathtaking than the stories had said. Instantly,
Bandung Bondowoso fell in love. “I must have her as my queen,” he thought. Without hesitation, he asked for
her hand in marriage.
But Roro Jonggrang, who hated him for killing her father, had no desire to marry him. Yet she knew that
refusing him outright would bring ruin to her people. She had to be clever.
With a calm voice, she said, "I will marry you... but only if you can do something for me."
"Anything," he replied, still enchanted by her.
"I want you to build me a temple. Not just any temple—a grand one with 1,000 statues. But you must do it all in
one night, before the break of dawn."
Bandung Bondowoso smiled. "Is that all? It shall be done."
As the night began, Bandung Bondowoso summoned his spirits. They flew through the air, their hands shaping
stone and stacking bricks. Hour by hour, the temple grew, and soon... 100 statues, 200 statues, 500 statues, 900
statues! The challenge was almost complete.
But Roro Jonggrang was watching, her heart pounding. "He’s going to succeed!" she thought. But then, an idea
struck her.
She quickly gathered the women of the palace. "Pound the rice! Light the fires! Make the roosters crow!" she
commanded. The women obeyed, creating the sound of the morning and lighting the sky with their torches.
The spirits, hearing the commotion, were fooled. They thought the sun was rising! In a panic, they fled, leaving
the temple unfinished.
When Bandung Bondowoso realized the trick, he was furious! "Roro Jonggrang, you have deceived me!" In his
rage, he cast a powerful curse upon her. "If I cannot complete the temple, then you shall!"
In an instant, Roro Jonggrang turned to stone, becoming the final, 1,000th statue.
And so, to this day, Roro Jonggrang stands in the temple of Prambanan, her beauty immortalized in stone, a
reminder of a clever princess and the tragic love that shaped history.
