Legend of Rara Jonggrang

Once upon a time in Central Java, there were two neighboring kingdoms, namely the Pengging Kingdom, ruled by King Pengging, and the Prambanan Kingdom, ruled by Prabu Baka. Prabu Baka was a giant with a large body and extraordinary supernatural powers. Prabu Baka was known to be cruel because, to maintain his supernatural powers, he routinely carried out offering ceremonies by sacrificing humans. Although his appearance was scary and his heart was cruel, Prabu Baka had a very beautiful daughter, named Rara Jonggrang.

The Pengging King had long been sad because his people were often disturbed by the Prambanan Kingdom's army. He really wanted to destroy the rulers of the Prambanan Kingdom, but they were too strong for him. To achieve his wish, the Pengging King then ordered his son, Raden Bandung, to meditate and ask for strength from the gods. Raden Bandung succeeded in obtaining supernatural powers in the form of a genie, named Bandawasa, who always obeyed his orders. Since then his name was changed to Raden Bandung Bandawasa.

Armed with his supernatural powers, Raden Bandung set off for Prambanan with the Pengging army. After experiencing a fierce battle, Raden Bandung managed to kill Prabu Baka. With his father's permission, Raden Bandung intended to establish a new government in Prambanan. When he entered the palace, he met Rara Jonggrang. Inevitably, Raden Bandung fell in love with the princess and proposed to her.

Rara Jonggrang did not want to be married to the young man who killed her father, but she did not dare to refuse openly. Subtly, she put forward a condition that, in order to be able to marry her, Raden Bandung must be able to build 1000 temples in one night. Raden Bandung agreed to Rara Jonggrang's request. Immediately after sunset, he went to an open field not far from Prambanan. He meditated, calling Bandawasa, his pet genie, and ordered the genie to build 1000 temples as requested by Rara Jonggrang.

Bandawasa then mobilized his friends, the genies, to help him build the temple that his master wanted. Through the middle, Rara Jonggrang crept closer to the field to see the results of Raden Bandung's work. How surprised the princess was to see that the work was almost finished. She quickly ran to the nearest village to wake up the girls in the village. They all pounded the pestle (rice pounder) against the mortar, as if they were pounding rice. Hearing the sound of people pounding rice, the roosters in the village woke up and began to crow in response.

At that time Bandawasa had succeeded in making 999 temples and was finishing the construction of the last temple. Hearing the sound of the rooster crowing, Bandawasa and his friends immediately stopped their work and disappeared because they thought dawn had arrived. Raden Bandung who saw Bandawasa and his friends running immediately rose from his meditation and prepared to convey his failure to Rara Jonggrang. After waiting for a long time, Raden Bandung was surprised because dawn had not arrived. He then investigated the strangeness that occurred.

Raden Bandung was very angry after finding out about Rara Jonggrang's cheating. He then cursed the girl to become a statue. Until now, the Rara Jonggrang Statue can still be found at the Rara Jonggrang Temple in the Prambanan Temple complex. Raden Bandung also cursed the girls in Prambanan to become spinsters because no one wanted to marry them.