The Story of Roro Jonggrang

What You Need to Know About the Story of Roro Jonggrang

Roro Jonggrang is a legendary Javanese folktale from Central Java, Indonesia. The story tells of a beautiful princess named Roro Jonggrang who was asked to marry a prince she disliked. To avoid the marriage, she set an impossible condition: the prince had to build 1,000 temples in one night. The prince, nearly completing the task, was tricked by Roro Jonggrang, leading him to curse her to become a statue. This tale is tied to the historical and cultural heritage of the Prambanan Temple complex and highlights themes of cleverness, determination, and the consequences of deceit.

The Story

Once upon a time, in the ancient kingdom of Prambanan in Central Java, there lived a beautiful princess named Roro Jonggrang. She was renowned for her beauty and grace, and many suitors sought her hand in marriage. However, Roro Jonggrang’s heart was not easily won.

One day, a powerful prince named Bandung Bondowoso came to Prambanan. He was a formidable warrior who had conquered many kingdoms. When he saw Roro Jonggrang, he was captivated by her beauty and immediately asked for her hand in marriage. Despite his power and determination, Roro Jonggrang did not wish to marry him, as she knew of his ruthless reputation.

In an attempt to avoid the marriage, Roro Jonggrang set an impossible condition for Bandung Bondowoso. She told him that she would marry him only if he could build 1,000 temples in one night. Confident in his abilities, Bandung Bondowoso accepted the challenge and called upon his supernatural powers to summon spirits and demons to help him.

As night fell, the construction of the temples began at an incredible pace. The spirits and demons worked tirelessly, and it seemed that Bandung Bondowoso might actually succeed. Roro Jonggrang, realizing that her plan was about to fail, devised a clever trick to thwart him.

Just before dawn, when 999 temples had been completed, Roro Jonggrang ordered her maidens to pound rice and light fires in the east, mimicking the sounds and lights of morning. The spirits and demons, believing that dawn had arrived, fled the site, leaving the final temple unfinished.

When Bandung Bondowoso discovered that he had been tricked and the last temple was incomplete, he was furious. In his anger, he confronted Roro Jonggrang and cursed her to become a statue to complete the 1,000th temple. Instantly, Roro Jonggrang was turned into a stone statue, which still stands among the temples of the Prambanan Temple complex today.

The story of Roro Jonggrang remains a significant part of Javanese cultural heritage, symbolizing the ingenuity and determination of the princess and serving as a cautionary tale about the consequences of deceit and trickery.