A long time ago, in the land of Java, there was a powerful kingdom called Prambanan. The kingdom was ruled by a wise and kind king who had a beautiful daughter named Roro Jonggrang. She was famous for her beauty, intelligence, and grace. However, fate brought war to their land when the cruel and mighty King Bandung Bondowoso invaded Prambanan.
Bandung Bondowoso was a powerful warrior with supernatural abilities. He led a great army and used his magical powers to defeat Prambanan’s forces easily. After conquering the kingdom, he approached Roro Jonggrang and proposed marriage, wanting her to be his queen.
Despite his power, Roro Jonggrang despised Bandung Bondowoso because he had destroyed her father’s kingdom. She did not want to marry him, but she knew she could not refuse directly, as he was too strong and merciless. So, she devised a clever plan to avoid the marriage.
“Oh, great King Bandung Bondowoso,” Roro Jonggrang said with a gentle smile, “I will accept your proposal, but I have one condition. You must build me a thousand temples in a single night before the sun rises.”
Bandung Bondowoso laughed confidently. “Is that all? Very well, I accept your challenge!” He thought his supernatural powers would make the task easy.
As night fell, Bandung Bondowoso summoned his loyal spirits and demons. With their help, he worked tirelessly, building temple after temple with incredible speed. By midnight, hundreds of temples had already been completed. The construction continued swiftly, and it seemed he would complete all the temples before dawn.
Roro Jonggrang became worried. She had hoped the task would be impossible, but now she saw that Bandung Bondowoso might succeed. She quickly gathered the women of the palace and villagers. Together, they devised a plan to trick the supernatural beings.
They lit huge fires to imitate the rising sun and began pounding rice mortars, creating the sounds of morning activities. Roosters, confused by the artificial light and sounds, began to crow, signaling dawn.
Hearing the roosters and seeing the bright light, the spirits and demons believed that morning had come. In fear of the sun, they fled instantly, leaving the final temple unfinished.
Bandung Bondowoso, realizing he had been deceived, became furious. He confronted Roro Jonggrang, his eyes blazing with anger. “You have tricked me!” he roared. “You shall pay for this treachery!”
Using his magic, he cursed Roro Jonggrang, turning her into stone. Her body transformed into the final statue needed to complete the last temple.
Thus, the temple complex of Prambanan was completed, and Roro Jonggrang became a legendary figure. Even today, the Prambanan Temple stands as a magnificent historical site in Indonesia, with the statue of a beautiful woman believed to be Roro Jonggrang, forever trapped in stone as a reminder of her cleverness and tragic fate.