The Legend of Roro Jongrang

Once upon a time, in the ancient kingdom of Prambanan, there lived a powerful and wise king named Prabu Boko. He was known for his bravery and intelligence, and his kingdom prospered under his rule. However, there was one thing that he desired more than anything else - a beautiful princess to be his queen. One day, Prabu Boko heard about a legendary princess named Roro Jongrang. She was said to be the most beautiful woman in the world, with a heart as pure as gold. Determined to make her his queen, Prabu Boko sent his messengers to find her and bring her to the kingdom. When Roro Jongrang heard about the king's intentions, she was not pleased. She did not want to marry someone she did not love, and she certainly did not want to be forced into a marriage. So, she came up with a plan to discourage the king. Roro Jongrang told the messengers that she would only agree to marry the king if he could build her a thousand temples in just one night. She believed that this task was impossible and would discourage the king from pursuing her any further. However, Prabu Boko was determined to win Roro Jongrang's heart. He sought the help of a powerful genie named Bandung Bondowoso. With the genie's magical powers, Prabu Boko started building the temples. As the night went on, the temples began to take shape. The genie worked tirelessly, using his powers to speed up the construction. Roro Jongrang watched in disbelief as the temples multiplied before her eyes. Realizing that the king might actually succeed in completing the task, Roro Jongrang became desperate. She knew that if the temples were completed, she would have no choice but to marry the king. So, she came up with another plan. Roro Jongrang asked the women in the kingdom to start pounding rice and light a fire. She then instructed them to start making loud noises, imitating the sounds of dawn. The roosters in the kingdom also joined in, crowing loudly. When Prabu Boko heard the noises, he thought that dawn was approaching. He ordered the genie to stop the construction and hide the remaining temples. The king believed that he had completed the task, unaware that Roro Jongrang had tricked him. The next morning, Prabu Boko proudly showed Roro Jongrang the completed temples. But when she saw that there were only 999 temples, she laughed and revealed her trick. She told the king that he had failed to complete the task and therefore, she could not marry him. Prabu Boko was furious and heartbroken. He realized that he had been tricked by Roro Jongrang. In his anger, he cursed her, turning her into a stone statue. To this day, the statue of Roro Jongrang can be found in the Prambanan temple complex, a reminder of the legend that has been passed down through generations. And so, the legend of Roro Jongrang teaches us the importance of honesty and the consequences of deceit. It reminds us that true love cannot be forced or manipulated, and that actions have consequences.