Part of reason I was curious to come here was to prove an article that described the interesting legend of this large complex of slender Hindu temples in Yogyakarta, Central Java. another part of me was a kind of sweet revenge for myself (I kinda regret the decision of not going on tour with my junior high school friends upon farewell graduation.)
The beautiful Lara Djonggrang is the subject of affection of a rebellious prince named Bandung Bondowoso. Her father’s kingdom was now seized by Bondowoso. And—if i’m not mistaken—her father plotted Djonggrang to marry Bondowoso to save the kingdom. The obedient Djonggrang was willing—with one condition.
Thinking that her condition was impossible to be met, she inquired Bondowoso to build a thousand temples in one night. Determined, Bondowoso agreed.
With the help of giants and devils, he worked hard. In the midnight, Djonggrang saw what was happening and she grew weary. Bondowoso has completed half of her request.
Djonggrang then gathered her entire household and armed them with lesung (wooden stick used to separate rice from its husk). Upon hearing the noisy sound, cocks responded to this with a cockadoodle doos, thinking it was dawning already. The giants and the devils fled instantly for they thought the sunlight might burn them.
The work was left unfinished. But that wasn’t final defeat. Bondowoso lost his temper and cast the maiden into a stone. Now the statue stands beautifully inside the center of the complex.
Perhaps the term “Kalau cinta ditolak, dukun bertindak” (When love is refused, evil psychic acts) was coined from it.
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Although Djonggrang was ill fated, the story shows that girls must be smart when dealing with lovelorn boys.
And I have just read Tolstoy’s A Peasant’s Wife and it tells about the same story: A tsar fell in love with Emilian’s wife and he ordered him to build a cathedral in one day otherwise he would take his wife. Emilian succeeded with the help of an unnatural force.
Why in order to win one’s heart one must build something?
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Back to Prambanan, I visited the temples in March 2005 with Rudy, Merry and Kiekie. A good long time ago. They were right, “if we don’t go now, maybe we have no next time.”
We found it difficult to go foursome to other places after each of us moved to different work places.
The thing is I found it enjoyable and exciting. When I was a kid, I read and reread Cip Cop magazine. I was like about 9 yo. In one article, they wrote about visiting Prambanan and how foreign visitors would rub lotions on her face “that Djonggrang’s face is very smooth”. The article was editorial spread and the picture was B/W. so I was quite surprised to see the temples with my own eyes. But surely I admit that the article provoked my imagination.
Inside the dark chamber I saw Djonggrang’s face was as smooth. And I told my travelmates about the article too. Interesting.
It can be reached about an hour drive or 2 hrs on bus. I was glad I was ready with lotions, drinking water, hats or umbrella—ella—ella, and a pack of only cheerful friends.
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