Name Prambanan temple is no longer foreign to the ear. Prambanan Temple, which is located in Yogyakarta, is very famous.
Not only domestic tourists but also foreign tourists. When you search children's vacation spot in Jogja, Just enter this temple as a tourist destination.
tour operator & content specialist. Before joining Gotravela, he spent years honing his skills at 'Tourism Industries".
During the holidays, the temple known as Roro Jonggrang Temple is never empty of visitors.
Even though we have visited this place many times, its attraction seems to call us and bring us back there.
What is really interesting about this tourist destination? What is the story behind the construction of this temple which is said to have numbered 1000? Let's see together!
Prambanan Temple is the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia and Southeast Asia.
In fact, it has been recognized as a world cultural heritage site. Built in the 9th century AD, this Roro Jonggrang Temple has a height of 47 meters or 5 meters higher than Borobudur Temple.
Based on its location, this temple stands right on the border between the provinces of Central Java and the Special Region of Yogyakarta.
The Origin of Prambanan Temple
That said, a story accompanies the construction of this most beautiful Hindu temple. Local residents believe that Prambanan Temple is a sign and proof of the love of its creator.
This love story is very legendary among the public and tourists.
Once upon a time, there was a prince named Bandung Bondowoso who was attracted and fell in love with a princess named Roro Jonggrang.
The princess of this kingdom did not reciprocate Bandung Bondowoso's feelings, but she was too afraid to refuse.
Bandung Bondowoso continued to persuade and approach the princess, until the princess could no longer refuse him.
Finally, Roro Jonggrang tried hard to find a way to refuse Bandung Bondowoso's proposal in a smooth manner and not hurt his heart.
Roro Jonggrang asked to make 1000 temples in just one night. Unexpectedly, Bandung Bondowoso agreed to build 1000 temples.
With his supernatural powers and the help of supernatural beings from the Jin nation, Bandung Bondowoso almost succeeded in building 1000 temples according to Roro Jonggrang's request.
Roro Jonggrang panicked seeing the progress made by Bandung Bondowoso.
He thought hard about how to thwart it. Roro Jonggrang woke the female servants and asked them to pound the mortar in the middle of the night.
As soon as they heard the sound of the mortar hitting, the chickens woke up and crowed loudly because they thought it was morning.
The genies who were working on building the temple were shocked and surprised to hear the sound of a rooster crowing.
They ran helter-skelter and left the construction site because they thought it was morning. Bandung Bondowoso failed to fulfill Roro Jonggrang's request. Only 999 temples were successfully built.
However, when he found out about Roro Jonggrang's fraud, Bandung Bondowoso became furious. He cursed Roro Jonggrang to become a temple to complete the number of temples to 1000.
This is the love story of Bandung Bondowoso who cannot have Roro Jonggrang's heart and body. He turned his idol into a legendary temple to this day.
Interesting Facts about Roro Jonggrang Temple
Despite the fact that this temple was built during the reign of Rakai Pikatan, the story of Roro Jonggrang will always be believed and remembered.
The legendary love story and the origin of the emergence of the most beautiful and most beautiful temples in Southeast Asia.
Prambanan Temple is one of the leading tourist destinations in the Jogja area. Every day, this temple is never empty of tourist visits. Not only to enjoy the beautiful buildings, but also many other unique things that can be enjoyed.
The following are some of the uniqueness of the Bandung Bondowoso and Roro Jonggrang temples along with interesting facts.
1. Built by the King of Medang Kingdom
Although believed to have been built in one night by Bandung Bondowoso, Prambanan Temple was actually built by Rakai Pikatan.
Rakai Pikatan was the sixth king of the Medang kingdom who ruled in 840 - 856 AD.
This temple was built to rival Borobudur Temple which is a Buddhist temple. Apart from that, Prambanan is also a symbolic building that marks the return of the Sanjaya family's power over the land of Java.
2. It is a sacred building for Lord Shiva
This temple is considered a sacred building meant to glorify Lord Shiva. This is known from the Siwagrha inscription which was made in 856 AD.
This inscription states that the original name of this building is Siwagrha which means Shiva's House. So basically, Prambanan temple is a place of worship and worship of Lord Shiva in Hindu religious beliefs.
3. Changing the Opak River Flow
In the process, the construction of this temple even changed the flow of a river, the Opak river. This is because the Opak river flow is considered too close to the construction construction and it is feared that erosion will occur.
The Opak River initially flows from north to south with an eastward curve in the western part of the temple. The bend of the Opak river was discarded and used as land for the construction of a wider temple.
4. The shape is similar to Mount Semeru
The architecture of the Prambanan temple follows the Hindu architecture from the Wastu Sastra book. The towering form of the temple is a hallmark of the Hindu religious temple, which is a representation of Shiva's house. Shiva's house is in the form of a towering mountain like Mount Mahameru or Semeru.
5. Saving the Hindu Epic Story
This temple was not only established as a house of worship of Lord Shiva. However, here you will also see reliefs in the form of carvings that tell a story.
These carvings tell the story of the Ramayana and Krishnayana. How to read this relief is read from right to left by circling the temple in a clockwise direction.
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Routes and Ticket Prices
Prambanan Temple is located on Jl. Raya Solo – Yogyakarta No. 16, Kranggan, Bokoharjo, Kec. Prambanan, Sleman Regency, Yogyakarta Special Region. This tourist spot can be reached via several routes from certain cities.
The following are the routes that you can take to reach this temple, namely:
1. From the city of Yogyakarta
You can use public transportation, namely the Transjogja corridor 1A bus which goes directly to the Prambanan temple complex. If you use a private vehicle, take the route to the border of Yogja and Central Java. On the left, you will find a signpost to the temple complex.
2. From the city of Semarang
From this city, you can take the AKAP bus bound for Semarang Yogjakarta and stop at Jombor Terminal. Then, you can take the Transjogja bus corridor 1A and stop in front of the temple complex.
If you use a private car, you have to go through several cities, namely Ungara, Ambarawa, Pringsurat, Magelang, and Yogya. Then, the route taken is the same as the route from the city of Jogja.
Prambanan Temple is opened for tourist visits from 06.00 to 17.00 WIB. The ticket prices are quite affordable, namely:
– For Indonesian citizens, adults IDR 40.000 and children IDR 20.000
– For foreigners, adults IDR 250.000 and children IDR 100.000
If you want to visit here, it is more advisable to come in the afternoon because the sunset panorama is very enchanting.
However, if you come to Prambanan Temple during the day, don't forget to bring an umbrella and sunblock. This is to protect the skin from exposure to the sun's heat.
Also Read
- History of Yogyakarta Palace
- Night Tour in Jogja
- Yogyakarta Smart Park
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