Kraton Ratu Boko

Standing amidst the ruins of the Palace of Ratu Boko or Stork King (the site is named after King Boko) and looking down at Prambanan, I heard the legend of prince Bandung Bondowoso who wanted to marry princess Loro Jonggrang, the daughter of King Boko whom he had killed. The princess ordered him to build 1000 temples overnight. While Bondowoso called upon the magic genies to help him, the princess created an illusion of dawn when he had finished 999 temples so that he is unable to complete the formidable task. He cursed her to become a statue and it is believed that she is the Durga statue in the Shiva temple in Prambanan. Furthermore, the archaeological site here, known to modern Javanese as the Palace of Ratu Boko or Kraton Ratu Boko, is in ruins. Our guide told us that the structures were probably an audience hall, women’s quarters and a crematorium. Temples, caves and ponds are also scattered around. Sitting in the shade, I wondered what this mammoth site would have been like centuries ago.