Nyi Roro Kidul

Pajajaran kingdom lied in West Java from 1333 AD to 1630 AD and it was conquered by the Islamic kingdom of Mataram from Central Java.

Pajajaran’s greatest ruler was Prabu (King) Siliwangi. He had a bride in his harems and a very beautiful daughter was born between he and the bride. The girl was called Dewi Kadita and the beauties of Dewi Kadita and her mother made other harems jealous, and they had a conspiracy against them.

The harems used some kind of black magic to make the bodies of Dewi Kadita and her mother to be filthy and they turn to be so ugly and disgusting. Prabu Siliwangi got angry against the mother and the daughter and forced them to get out of the palace, as they were thought to be bad luck for the kingdom. They were wandering around the country and one day the mother died. Dewi Kadita was walking in deep sadness, until she reached the Southern Shore (the shore of Indian Ocean) .

She sat above a rock in a stove shape and when she was sleeping, she had a vision that she must have to jump into the water to help herself out of the curse. When she woke up, with no second thought, Dewi Kadita jumped into the sea. She returned to a beautiful lady as she was but then she realized that she was not a human anymore. She turned into a supernatural form of life. Since then, she ruled all creatures in the southern coast of Java Island, and she was known as Nyi Roro Kidul (Javanese of “Lady of South Sea”). To avenge her father, she became the primary bride for Mataram kings , the rival of Pajajaran kingdom. It’s believed for centuries, even until now.

The river of Bengawan Solo, which started from the mystical mountain of Merapi in Central Java and leads to Indian Ocean, is said as the tunnel used by Nyi Roro Kidul to access Java. And she traps males in green costume who are walking on the shore. They are swallowed by the wave and missing or dead but he will become her guard or (maybe) male.

This either can be the ancient Javanese explanation on the vacuum effect from underwater canyons that lie in the southern shore of Java, where the depth of the ocean’s bed on the shore can reach more than 0-200 meters.

In psychological analysis, Nyi Roro Kidul can be a parallel of the revenge of a female who was once rejected by a male. Once she regains her power and beauty, she takes any man she wants. And yet, I can’t talk my point of view to Javanese elders.

Nyai Loro Kidul or Nyi Roro Kidul or Ratu Laut Selatan (”Queen of the South”) and also known as Kangjeng Ratu Kidul is thought to be a Javanese goddess. The identity is of a goddess or Queen of Southern Sea of Java (Indian Ocean or Samudra Kidul) in Javanese and Sundanese mythology.

Nyai Loro Kidul has many different names, which reflect the diverse stories of her origin. However, for many Javanese it is important that various honorifics, such as Nyai, Kangjeng, and Gusti, are used when mentioning her name. People who invoke her also call her Eyang (grandmother).

Nyai Loro Kidul controls the violent waves of the Indian Ocean. Her dwelling-place is in the heart of the Indian Ocean, which is told to be her realm. Sometimes she is referred as one of the spiritual queens or wives of the Sultan of Yogyakarta or corresponding to Merapi-Kraton-South Sea axis in Yogyakarta Sultanate.

It was Panembahan Senopati (1586-1601 AD), founder of the second Mataram Kingdom, and his grandson Sultan Agung (1613-1645 AD) who named the Kanjeng Ratu Kidul as their bride in the Babad Tanah Jawi.

Nyai Loro Kidul is often illustrated as a mermaid. In this image she is referred to Nyai Blorong who has a mermaid tail as well the lower part of the body of a snake. These creatures take your soul for any wish of material matters addressed to them.

One original telling is about Dewi Kadita of the Pajajaran Kingdom, West-Java, who desperately seeks for the south after black magic that had hit her. She jumps into the violent waves of the Indian Ocean where the spirits and demons crowned the girl to the legendary Spirit-queen of the South.

A very complicated story goes about the Ajar Cemara Tunggal/Adhar Tjemara Toenggal on the mountain of Kombang, a male seer who actually was the great-aunt of Joko Susuruh. She told him to go to the east of Java to found a kingdom on the place where a maja-tree just had one fruit; the fruit was bitter (pait) and the kingdom got the name of Majapait. The seer Cemara Tunggal would marry the founder of Majapait and, any descendant in first line, to help in all kind of matters. Though after he (the seer) would have transmigrated into the “spirit-queen of the south” who shall reign over the spirits, demons and all dark creatures. After all it is because of these traditions that the myth about Nyai Loro Kidul got a Sundanese, West-Javanese origin.

Pelabuhan Ratu, a city in West Java, celebrates an annual holiday in her honor on (New years day in the Javanese calendar). The special day which is dedicated to the Nyai Loro Kidul is on April, the 6th. She is also associated with Parangtritis, Pangandaran, Karang Bolong, Ngliyep, Puger, Banyuwangi, all along the south coast of Java.

There is a local belief that wearing a green garment in these areas will anger her and will bring misfortune on the wearer, as green is her sacred colour. The Samudra Beach Hotel keeps room 308 furnished with green colours & reserved for Nyai Loro Kidul. The first president, President Soekarno, of Indonesia was involved with the exact location and the idea for the Samudra Beach Hotel. In front of the room 308 there is the Ketapang tree where Soekarno got his spiritual inspiration.

Legends recount her love for the Sultan Agung of Mataram, which continues to be recounted in the ritualized bedhaya dance by the royal line of Surakarta, and she is honored by the sultans of Yogyakarta. When Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX died on October 3, 1988, the Tempo newsmagazine reported her sighting by palace servants, who were sure she was paying her final tribute to the dead ruler.

TAMPAKSIRING & TIRTA EMPUL

More than a thousand years ago a powerful King named Mayadenawa ruled over a vast area which included Bali. Mayadenawa possessed the spiritual power to transform himself into anything he desired. Unfortunately he misused his powers and became a cruel, black magician.

One example of Mayadenawa's cruelty was that he destroyed all of Bali's temples in order to prevent the Balinese from worshipping their gods. When also the crops failed after his destructive actions, followed by an outbreak of the plague, the people of Bali got desperate.

Mpu Kulputih, a priest gifted with highly evolved spiritual powers who lived during Mayadenawa's reign, decided to do something about the situation. He went to the Besakih temple to pray to Mahadewa, god of the Earth and meditate for guidance and inspiration.

Forces from the multi-dimension (or Heaven if you like) led by the god Indra were sent to destroy King Mayadenawa. Because he had many spies, Mayadenawa learned in time about the upcoming attack and so he managed to organize his defense. However an astral war with many casualties, in which the forces of Indra would to be superieur, was unavoidable. Most of his troops fled, leaving King Mayadenawa almost without defense.

Then the war was interrupted by the falling of the night. When Indra's forces slept, Mayadenawa stealed into Indra's camp, walking on the side of his feet as to leave no foot prints, and created a pool of poisoned water. This way of walking gave Tampaksiring its name, for tampak siring is Balinese for 'without imprints'. He left as he came and when Indra's forces woke up the next morning and discovered the water pool, they drank from it and became violently sick.

When Indra found out what happened, he created Tirta Empul, a well of water that would cure his forces. The water flow running from this well later became known as the river Pakerisan.

Mayadenawa fled, chased by the forces of Indra. During his flight he transformed himself a number of times, but he couldn't trick Indra with his transformations. When he had transformed himself into a stone, he was shot by Indra with an arrow. A stream of blood flowed from the stone, forming the river Petanu. And for a thousand years long this river would be cursed. Rice fields irrigated with its water would make the rice grow fast, but once harvested blood would come out of it and it would smell bad.

The death of King Mayadenawa is symbolic for the victory of good (dharma) over evil (adharma). The day of Mayadenawa's death is still celebrated, every 210 days according to the Balinese Pawukon calendar, and this day is generally known as Galungan Day.

The Legend of King Bali

Another interesting Diwali legend is of King Bali. He was a generous ruler but also very ambitious. To propitiate the gods he performed a Yagna (fire sacrifice). His Yagna was so successful that even the gods were terrified to appear before him and grant him a boon in the fear that what he might ask something which is beyond their capacity. Some of the Gods pleaded Vishnu to check King Bali's power. Vishnu came to earth in the form of a dwarf dressed as priest.

When the priest reached King Bali's court, he asked him to ask for anything he wanted. The priest said "You are the ruler of the three worlds: the Earth, the world above the skies and the underworld. Would you give me the space that I could cover with three strides?" King Bali laughed. This request seemed strange to all the courtiers, but king Bali granted it. Surely a dwarf could not cover much ground, thought the King, who agreed to dwarf's request.

Once the request was granted to him, the priest, who was none but Visnu in disguise, submerged the entire world (Mrityu-loka) with one step, with the second he submerged heaven (Swarga-loka) and for the third step; there was no respectable place to put his foot down and so he asked the bewildered Bali for some respectable place to this foot so that the boon could be fulfilled. Left with no alternative, the noble but exasperated King Bali offered his head for the purpose. To his surprise, the priest not only lost no time in placing his foot over King Bali's head, but also thrust Bali into the nether worlds (Patala-loka) which as per Hindu cosmogony is hell and lies below the surface of the earth.

The second day of Diwali (Bali Prati-pada) is celebrated in memory of this. Prati-pada here translates as "below the opponent's foot" (Prati=opponent, Pada=foot). During Diwali festival people celebrates the victory of good over evil.

The Legend of Sarangan and Wurung lake

Sarangan is one of village in Plaosan council, Magetan county East Java province. The village lies more less 1.200 meters on high over surface of the sea, on the bilge of Lawu Mountain, that high soar with less more 3.265 meters on high over surface of the sea. The tourism place with range 17 kilometers from the capital of Magetan county that has a thousand and one memories.
The beautiful panorama that is spread evenly everywhere, although on Mountain declivity and jungle that interesting for a rover. The fresh air of there is hunted by common people. The clear water is abundant to every outlying place that also entrance to every visitor.
The beautiful Sarangan lake and waterfall Gerojokan Sewu TIRTOSARI, also big trees is arranged there that make the visitor stay long. Beside that there are keep a thousand kinds of legend. It makes the visitor want to know what the legend is. One of tales is the occurred of Wurung lake.
If we want to go Sarangan from Magetan or From Sarangan to Magetan, we will go by a small lake that named Wurung lake. The lake lies on Gemutri village in Plaosan council. The lake looks very beautiful if we take a view from declivity of Lawu Mountain. It can adorn Sarangan tourism area from the east.
The legend of Wurung lake is in connection with Sarangan lake, moreover in one sequence of the legend. It began from Kyai Pasir and Nyai Pasir that has supernatural, they can makes a beautiful lake. After that Kyai Pasir and Nyai were changed become a big dragon called by Kyai Jaililung and Nyai Jaililung that can makes Sarangan lake. And than two dragons were fade away in eastern of Sarangan lake. Day by day, month by month and year by year the dragons not appear. But the magic always appear from time by time.
Kyai Jaililung dan Nyai Jaililung purposed to isolate them self. Because they wants to make a surprise to the people surround there. The dragons intended to make Son Lake on Declivity of Lawu Mountain.
After the dragons get a direction from Hyang Widdhi, Kyai Jaililung and Nyai Jaililung concluded the meditation to prepare everything that can support their effort. Two dragon ‘mataq aji” and they changed their self to be people. They want to make Son lake in one night. And than they began to choose the right place in order to make a lake.
They towards to east enter a jungle, go down by crag. They don’t want rash in choosing a place. And than they take concentrate to make it. But the fact was opposite, disturbance arise when they were making the lake. They heard crow, it mean the night has been ending their concentrate were disappear. And than they perforce to canceled the effort. It cause the lake named by Wurung lake, because tthe lake named by Wurung lake, because the effort was canceled or the lake doesn’t completed yet.

The Legend Of Banyuwangi

Patih sidapaksa lived in a land called East Java. He was a patih from Blambangan kingdom. Patih Sidapaksa felt in love with Sri Tanjung, a beautiful girl from a village. Sidapaksa’s mother did not agree with his son’s lover. Apparently, his mother hated her because Sri Tanjung was not an aristocrat. It is a very important status in her society. But love is love, isn’t it? Nothing can’t stand its way. Sidapaksa did not care about his future wife status and married her. A couple months after the marriage, the wife got pregnant. They were very happy waiting for the childbirth.

One day in the morning, the king called patih Sidapaksa. He ordered his patih to get a flower at Mount Ijen for his queen. The flower was believed could make younger the person who bathed with it. Therefore, Sidapaksa went to Mount Ijen, left his wife and his mother for couple of months.

Meanwhile the baby’s birth was getting closer. Sri Tanjung stayed with her mother in law. When the baby boy was born, her mother in law helped her took care the baby. The reason she did that was not that she cared about her grandson. Instead, she wanted to get rid of the child and his mother.

And that night must be a very misfortune night from all Sri Tanjung’s nights. She went to a bath and left the baby in the room. Her mother in law entered the room. When she saw the baby slept, her evil’s mind was working. Slowly and carefully, she took the baby and brought him to the river. Without thinking any further, at the edge of the river, she threw the baby. The crying of the baby did not change her mind. The water was so fast. It drowned the baby and made his voice silent just in a few second.

When Sri Tanjung finished her bath, she was shocked knowing her baby was gone. She look for everywhere for the baby but she could not find him. She felt powerless in her room thinking about her baby. When her mother in law came home, the mother pretended knew nothing about it.

Sidapaksa came home from his long journey. In front of his house, his mother was standing. When she saw Sidapaksa arrived, she ran to him and cried. She said, “Oh my son, I am sorry. I am useless. I couldn’t stop your wife killing the baby.”
“What? Why she did that?” Sidapaksa yelled.
“She was afraid that you found out that the baby was not your son,” she explained.
Sidapaksa was very angry. He felt like got a stroke by lightning in the middle of the day. He went to the house looking for his wife. When he entered his room, he saw his wife was sleeping. He woke her up and dragged her out the room. Sri Tanjung was surprised knowing her husband came home with anger. “What’s going on?” she asked.
“You’re having affair and killed the baby.” Sidapaksa accused her. His hand pointed his keris to his wife.
“For the sake of Gods, I did not having affair and killed the baby.” She argued.
“I don’t believe you,” Sidapaksa said. He dragged her wife to the river and said, “You threw him to the river”.
“I did not do those things,” Sri Tanjung kept her argue. But it seemed she could not persuade her husband anymore. So she said” if you don’t believe me, you can kill me and throw my body to the river. If the water smells fragrant, it means I am innocent. Let Gods be my witnesses”.

Sidapaksa stabbed his keris to her chest until she died then he threw her body to the river. But strangely, the water did not turn to red and smell fishy when her blood got in to it. Instead, the blood cleaned the river and smelt fragrant. Sidapaksa was shocked and yelled like a crazy person” Wangi.. banyu.. wangi.. banyu.. wangi..”. It means “fragrant.. water.. fragrant.. water.. fragrant..”. Suddenly in the middle of river, two flowers showed up, the big ones and the small ones. The big flower was incarnation of Sri Tanjung and the small flower was incarnation of her baby. Then the small one talked to Sidapaksa” Father, I am your son. My mother was innocent. Grandmother drowned me to this river”. Sidapaksa felt stood. He realized he had made a huge mistake. However, his wife and his child would never live again. And he could only cry and regret.

After the incident, the area around the river called banyuwangi. In Javanese language, banyuwangi means fragrant water.

The Legend of Sangkuriang

According to local folklore, the formation of the Tangkuban Parahu volcano began with a young man SANGKURIANG who fell in love with his own mother, DAYANG SUMBI.
One day, when he was hunting, Sangkuriang accidentally killed his beautiful black dog (Si TUMANG). This dog is actually Sangkuriang's father who had been condemned to live the life of a dog by his GURU. However, Sangkuriang never knew it.
Sangkuriang had been separated by his mother since childhood. Yet, he was destined to meet his mother again. When on his way home, he stopped at a small village and met and fell in love with a beautiful girl. He didn't realised that the village was his homeland nor that the beautiful girl was his own sacred mother (remain young & pretty).
Their love grew naturally and one day, when they were discussing their wedding plans, Dayang Sumbi suddenly realised that the profile of Sangkuriang's head matched that of her only son's who had left twenty years earlier. How could shee marry her own son? But she did not wish to dissapoint him by cancelling the wedding. So, although she agreed to marry Sangkuriang, she would do so only on the condition that he provide her with a lake and a boat with which they could sail on the dawn of their wedding day.
Sangkuriang accepted this condition and built a lake by damming the Citarum river. Wiath a dawn just moment away and the boat almost complete, Dayang Sumbi realised that Sangkuriang would fulfill the condition she had set. With a wave of her supernatural shawl, she lit up the eastern horizon with flashes of light. Deceived by false dawn, the cock crowed and farmers rose for the new day.
With his work not yet complete, Sangkurinag realised that his endeavour were lost. With all his anger, he kicked the boat that he himself had built. The boat fell over and, in so doing become the mountain TANGKUBAN PARAHU (in Sundanese, TANGKUBAN means upturned or upside down, and PARAHU means boat). With the dam torn assunder, the water drained from the lake becoming a wide plain and nowaday became a city called BANDUNG (from the word BENDUNG, which means Dam).

The Legend of Surabaya

A long time ago in East Java there were two strong animals, Sura and Baya. Sura was a shark and Baya was a crocodile. They lived in a sea. Actually, they were friends. But when they were hungry, they were very greedy. They did not want to share their food. They would fight for it and never stop fighting until one of them gave up. It was a very hot day. Sura and Baya were looking for some food. Suddenly, Baya saw a goat. “Yummy, this is my lunch,” said Baya. “No way! This is my lunch. You are greedy! I had not eaten for two days!” said Sura. Then Sura and Baya fought again. After several hours, they were very tired. Sura had a plan to stop their bad behavior. “I’m tired of fighting, Baya,” said Sura. “Me too. What should we do to stop fighting? Do you have any idea?” asked Baya. “Yes, I do. Let’s share our territory. I live in the water, so I look for food in the sea. And you live on the land, right? So, you look for the food also on the land. The border is the beach, so we will never meet again. Do you agree?” asked Sura. “Hmm... let me think about it. OK, I agree. From today, I will never go to the sea again. My place is on the land,” said Baya. Then they both lived in the different places. But one day, Sura went to the land and looked for some food in the river. He was very hungry and there was not much food in the sea. Baya was very angry when he knew that Sura broke the promise. “Hey, what are you doing here? This is my place. Your place is in the sea!” “But, there is water in the river, right? So, this is also my place!” said Sura. Then Sura and Baya fought again. They both hit each other. Sura bit BayaÕs tail. Baya did the same thing to Sura. He bit very hard until Sura finally gave up. He went back to the sea. Baya was very happy. He had his place again. The place where they were fighting was a mess. Blood was everywhere. People then always talked about the fight between Sura and Baya. They then named the place of the fight as Surabaya, it’s from Sura the shark and Baya the crocodile. People also put their fight as the symbol of Surabaya city. ***

The Story and Legend of Mount Bromo

A long time ago, there lived a beautiful woman by the name Roro Anteng. She was a reknown beauty and had attracted the attention of an evil giant. Because the evil giant possessed extraordinary magical powers, Roro Anteng dared not reject the giant’s advances when he proposed to her. Roro thought of a plan to get away from the marriage without offending the giant. In order to get her hand in marriage, the giant had to fufill her wishes.
Roro then concocted a difficult request in hopes that the giant did not have the power to fufill it. She had asked him to make her a sandy desert in between the mountains in one night and before the break of dawn.
Unfortunately for her, the giant magically and swiftly begin to work his powers and was near completing her wishes. The fast thinking Roro Anteng quickly thought of an idea to disrupt the completion, she made all sorts of noises that woke up the roosters. The roosters began to crow bringing dawn in.
On hearing the rooster’s calls, which signalled the break of dawn, the giant was shocked for having failed his task. Frustrated, he threw the coconut shell that he used to dig the desert, the shell fell to the ground beside Mount Bromo, forming what is now knows as Mount Batok (coconut shell). The sandy plain was to form the Tengger caldera.
The story continues with Roro Anteng falling in love with Joko Seger, a descendant of the great Majapahit Kingdom who had led a reclusive life on the desolate mountain range.
They were married, living happily blessed with many children. Their children and their descendents formed the tribal community of the Tengger (taken from the names ‘Roro Anteng’ and Joko Seger”).
This was the story of how the Tenggerese tribe came to be and how they lived the lands.
The Legend Of Banyuwangi

Patih sidapaksa lived in a land called East Java. He was a patih from Blambangan kingdom. Patih Sidapaksa felt in love with Sri Tanjung, a beautiful girl from a village. Sidapaksa’s mother did not agree with his son’s lover. Apparently, his mother hated her because Sri Tanjung was not an aristocrat. It is a very important status in her society. But love is love, isn’t it? Nothing can’t stand its way. Sidapaksa did not care about his future wife status and married her. A couple months after the marriage, the wife got pregnant. They were very happy waiting for the childbirth.

One day in the morning, the king called patih Sidapaksa. He ordered his patih to get a flower at Mount Ijen for his queen. The flower was believed could make younger the person who bathed with it. Therefore, Sidapaksa went to Mount Ijen, left his wife and his mother for couple of months.

Meanwhile the baby’s birth was getting closer. Sri Tanjung stayed with her mother in law. When the baby boy was born, her mother in law helped her took care the baby. The reason she did that was not that she cared about her grandson. Instead, she wanted to get rid of the child and his mother.

And that night must be a very misfortune night from all Sri Tanjung’s nights. She went to a bath and left the baby in the room. Her mother in law entered the room. When she saw the baby slept, her evil’s mind was working. Slowly and carefully, she took the baby and brought him to the river. Without thinking any further, at the edge of the river, she threw the baby. The crying of the baby did not change her mind. The water was so fast. It drowned the baby and made his voice silent just in a few second.

When Sri Tanjung finished her bath, she was shocked knowing her baby was gone. She look for everywhere for the baby but she could not find him. She felt powerless in her room thinking about her baby. When her mother in law came home, the mother pretended knew nothing about it.

Sidapaksa came home from his long journey. In front of his house, his mother was standing. When she saw Sidapaksa arrived, she ran to him and cried. She said, “Oh my son, I am sorry. I am useless. I couldn’t stop your wife killing the baby.”
“What? Why she did that?” Sidapaksa yelled.
“She was afraid that you found out that the baby was not your son,” she explained.
Sidapaksa was very angry. He felt like got a stroke by lightning in the middle of the day. He went to the house looking for his wife. When he entered his room, he saw his wife was sleeping. He woke her up and dragged her out the room. Sri Tanjung was surprised knowing her husband came home with anger. “What’s going on?” she asked.
“You’re having affair and killed the baby.” Sidapaksa accused her. His hand pointed his keris to his wife.
“For the sake of Gods, I did not having affair and killed the baby.” She argued.
“I don’t believe you,” Sidapaksa said. He dragged her wife to the river and said, “You threw him to the river”.
“I did not do those things,” Sri Tanjung kept her argue. But it seemed she could not persuade her husband anymore. So she said” if you don’t believe me, you can kill me and throw my body to the river. If the water smells fragrant, it means I am innocent. Let Gods be my witnesses”.

Sidapaksa stabbed his keris to her chest until she died then he threw her body to the river. But strangely, the water did not turn to red and smell fishy when her blood got in to it. Instead, the blood cleaned the river and smelt fragrant. Sidapaksa was shocked and yelled like a crazy person” Wangi.. banyu.. wangi.. banyu.. wangi..”. It means “fragrant.. water.. fragrant.. water.. fragrant..”. Suddenly in the middle of river, two flowers showed up, the big ones and the small ones. The big flower was incarnation of Sri Tanjung and the small flower was incarnation of her baby. Then the small one talked to Sidapaksa” Father, I am your son. My mother was innocent. Grandmother drowned me to this river”. Sidapaksa felt stood. He realized he had made a huge mistake. However, his wife and his child would never live again. And he could only cry and regret.

After the incident, the area around the river called banyuwangi. In Javanese language, banyuwangi means fragrant water.

Legenda temple borobudur

Borobudur temple,one of the biggest Buddhist temple in the world which is also one of the seven wonders of the world is located in the island of Java, Indonesia. To be exact, you can find it in Magelang, one of the city in the central Java province. This temple was built in the era of King Sumaratungga from the Syailendra dinasty around 8 century, about the same time when The Great Karel ruled the Rome.
The most important person in founding this great monument was Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles in 1811 when the British ruled the island of Java. At that time, Borobudur temple was nothing but a heap of stones more like a small hill with shrubs and brushwoods. In 1815, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles commanded officer H.C Cornelis to dig it up. From that moment, it was slowly revealed that the little hill was only the top of a great inheritance which was a remarkable temple.
According to some researches, it is believed that when Merapi mountain erupted in 1006, its ashes and dust burried the Borobudur temple along with the gilt of the central Java empire.
Twenty years later, F.C Wilsen transposed hundreds of icons founded in those stones into images using monograph from leemans.
Finnaly a book about Borobudur temple was published in 1873. It was then translated into French. In 1907 Theodore van Erp made an huge effort in rearranging all the sramble stones back to the original formation, in the right order.
It is 123 meter wide, 42 meter high and 10 floors which is presumable reffering to the 10 emperors belong to Syailendra dinasty which once ruled the kingdom. The first 6 level of this temple are in square shapes, followed by 3 next level in round ith 72 stupas. The top of this temple is a big stupa, 7 meter high and 9,90 meter in diameter.
Along the temple walls, you can find reliefs which tells about the Buddha’s life story. It is divided into 1640 frames and 504 Buddha statues.
A Dutch archaeologist, A.J Bernet Kempers refers this as “the mysterious Buddhism depicted on stones.” A perfect mixture between human and a sacred miracle.
In his book,History of Java, Raffles mentioned that the Javanese people obtains and believes their ancestor greatness as a story, a sacred legend told by their parents from mouth to mouth. This is believed very much by them especially when there is a real evidence such as a monument with a unique architecture, not to mention that it is also the greatest Buddhist temple in the world.
Do you know what lies below Borobudur temple? Do you know that what you see during your visit is only two third of the total height? You can only see 31,5 meter instead of 42 meter height of the Borobudur temple! Where is the rest?The truth is, Van Erp casted the lowest part of the Borobudur to strengthen the building from slanting. It is said and strongly believed that this part includes another relief of Borobudur temple wich contains many sadistic and sexual scence from the whole relief that appear on this temple.There is a big,attracting and captivating challenge for those computer technology and architectural experts,detectives, MYSTERY lovers, photographers, movie directors and others who love mystery and would like to unsolve it.Up to present there are still plenty of hidden mysteries in the world that remain unsolved.It is very much possible in this era of high technology to try unsolving the world’’s historical evidences that are covered as the time goes by leaving their greatness behind.Would it be you the new hero in unsolving this great mystery …?

Legend of Lake Toba in Medan

When you go to the North Sumatera, you will find a big lake namely “Toba Lake”. This name was a man name who was a fisherman. He had a wife as a fish. Here are the legends of Lake Toba and you can see directly this lake with the little island in the middle of the lake. This island namely by Samosir Island. It was Toba’s son name.

Once upon a time, there was a fisherman lived in a North Sumatra. Don’t ask me the year, all I know it was a very long time before you were born. When he was fishing in a river, a big fish was nailed. This fish had gold color all over its body. It was beautiful. The fisherman was very excited. He imagined a delicious dinner in his head. He put the fish in his basket and went home happily.

When he got home, he put the fish in a sink. He grabbed a knife to kill the fish. But when he almost killed it, he saw the fish eyes and felt pity. He took the knife away and put the fish in washbasin and added water in it. “Don’t worry, I wouldn’t kill you”the fisherman said.

The fisherman went fishing again. But this time he couldn’t get any fish. He went home with nothing in his hand. His stomach started to sing. He walked home slouching. He was surprised when he saw smoke came out from his kitchen.

“Who cooked in my kitchen?” he confused.

He took a peep and surprised when he saw a beautiful girl cooked in his house. “Why there’s a girl in my kitchen?” he confused.

The fisherman entered the room. “Who are you?” he asked the girl.

“I’m the fish.” The girl said.

The fisherman looked the washbasin and saw nothing in it. “The fish?” he asked incredulous.

“Yes. You didn’t kill me and I’m very thankful. I will return your kindness.” The girl said.

“That’s ok. I didn’t ask any return” the fisherman said.

“But I have to.” The girl insisted.

“Well, I lived alone. I don’t have family. If you want to be my wife, I will be very happy.” The fisherman asked the girl.

The girl smiled and said “I’d love to but you have to promise me that if we have kid you can’t tell him about me.”

And so, the fisherman and the fish girl were married. And then they had a child called Samo. Samo was very naughty. He couldn’t be advisable. He always played and never helped his parents.

One day Samo was asked to deliver lunch to his father. On his way, he met his friends and forgot to deliver his father’s lunch. Samo played with his friends. When he was tired and hungry, he was resting under a tree and ate his father lunch. Meanwhile his father waited him in starve and tired. His father went home and saw Samo played. “Where is my lunch?” he asked.

“Mmm…mm.. I ate it” Samo said afraid.

“Why you ate it?” his father asked.

“Mmm..mm.. I was hungry after playing with my friend” Samo said.

“You were told to deliver my lunch but you didn’t listen.” his father was very furious. “I can’t handle you anymore. You are very naughty. Go away from me. Don’t come home anymore.” His father yelled and evicted Samo from his house.

And this happened if you can’t control your mouth when you angry. His father said the words that he wouldn’t suppose to say. “You… fish’s son.”
Suddenly, the sky was getting dark. The storm was breaking the ears. The rain felt from the sky like giant hose sprayed water all over the place. And then the water came out from the land and getting harder.

Sumo’s mother was very sad. “I told you don’t tell him about me” she said to her husband. “Now I’m going back to be fish again. Good by” the mother was transformed magically to be gold fish again and disappear through the water. The water was getting higher and drowns the village and formed alake.
Meanwhile, sumo run to the hill and stayed there. The hill then was surrounded by the lake.

Now the lake was known as Toba Lake. Toba came from Tuba word means no mercy. And the hill in the middle called Samosir Island. Samosir means ‘Samo di usir’ or in English: Samo have been evicted.

The Legend of Sangkuriang

A long time ago, the ancient land of Sunda was ruled by a king and a queen who had but a single daughter. Her name
was Dayang Sumbi. She was beautiful and clever but also pampered and spoiled.
One day as she was weaving in her pavilion, she became moody and distracted, which caused her to keep dropping her
shuttle on the floor. Once when it fell she exclaimed she would marry the one who gave it back to her. At that very
moment her dog Tumang, a demigod possessing magic powers, came up to her with the shuttle in his mouth. Dayang
Sumbi had to marry him.
They lived happily together, and Dayang Sumbi gave birth to a baby boy, human in appearance but endowed with his
father's magic powers. She named him Sangkuriang. As the boy grew up, he was always guarded by the faithful dog
Tumang, whom he knew only as a companion and not as his father, Sangkuriang became handsome and brave.
One day his mother asked him to go hunting with the dog and bring her venison for a feast. After hunting all day without
success, Sangkuriang worried about facing his mother empty-handed. Desperate, he took an arrow and shot the dog. He
returned home and handed over the meat to his pleased mother.
Soon after the feast, however, Dayang Sumbi questioned her son about the absence of Tumang. At first he evaded her
queries but finally told her what had happened. She was horrified and struck her son so hard on the temple that he
collapsed. For that, the old king banished his daughter from the court and she was made to roam around the kingdom.
Sangkuriang recovered with a large scar on his temple, and he too left the court to wander about the world.
Years later, Sangkuriang met a beautiful woman and instantly fell in love with her. It was his own mother-they did not
recognize each other. He pro¬posed to her and she agreed to marry him. On the day before the wedding, as she was
caressing her fiancee's hair, Dayang Sumbi detected the scar on the temple. Horror struck her, for she was about to
marry her own son, Sang¬kuriang. Without revealing the whole truth to him, she tried unsuccessfully to dissuade him.
Desperate to avoid the marriage, she set conditions she thought impossible to meet: Sangkuriang had to make a lake
that filled the whole val¬ley and build a boat for the couple to sail in, all before dawn.
Sangkuriang started to work. His love gave him extraordinary strength, and he used his magic powers to summon the
spirits to help him. With boul¬ders and mud they dammed the river in the valley and the water rose and began to form a
lake. In the early morning hours he chopped down a huge tree in the forest and began hollowing it out to make a boat.
When Dayang Sumbi saw that he was about to accomplish what she had thought impossi¬ble, she called on the gods to
bring the sun up early and thwart Sangkuriang.
The cock crowed, the sun rose much earlier than usual, and Sangkuriang realized he had been deceived. In a fit of fury
he cursed Dayang Sumbi and kicked the half-finished boat back into the forest. There it lies upside down today, forming
the mountain Tangkuban Perahu (Upturned Boat). Not far away is the stump of the tree Sangkuriang had felled, now
called Bukit Tunggul. The dam Sangkuriang had built caused the valley to become a lake, where both Sangkuriang and
Dayang Sumbi drowned themselves. They were never heard of again