Narrative text - Roro Jonggrang

Roro Jonggrang

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful Javanese princess whose name was Roro Jongrang. Roro Jongrang whose beauty very famous in the land was the daughter of Prabu Baka, an evil King.

One day, a handsome young man with super natural power, named Bandung Bondowoso from Pengging, defeated and killed Prabu Baka in a war. On seeing Princess Roro Jongrang’s beauty, Bandung Bondowoso felling in love and wanted to marry her.

Meanwhile, Princess Roro Jongrang, felt sad due to the death of her father. She did not want to marry Bandung because he had killed her father. But she was also afraid of Bandung. So to refuse politely, she made a condition. "I will marry you after you build a well near my kingdom, Jalatunda will be the name of that well." Bandung agreed and started to build the well. But Jonggrang sent her soldiers to kill Bandung and buried him on that well.

But those soldiers were nothing to Bandung's power. He was very angry when he knew Jonggrang's plan to kill him. Bandung came to Jonggrang's palace to make a deal with her but Jonggrang tricked him with her beauty. She said “I am promise, I will marry you. But you have to build one thousand temple in one night as a wedding gift” requested Roro Jongrang. Bandung agreed with this condition.

Helped by the Gennie, Bandung Bondowoso started building the temples. Approaching midnight, the work was nearly done. Roro Jongrang knew and thought, “What shall I do? Bandung is smarter than me. I will lose against Bandung”

Suddenly she got an idea. She up all the women in the place and ordered them to make the noisy sound of grinding rice so that roosters would think it had already dawn.

Bandung Bondowoso got frustrated because he failed to complete the thousand temple. “The princess has decided me!’ following his anger, he cursed Roro Jongrang, “You have cheated me. Now, The thousandth temple is you!”

At once, the princess turned into a statue.

Knowing this, Bandung Bondowoso regretted this and he went away into a far land. From them, people called the temple Prambanan Temple and the princess statue, Roro Jongrang Statue.