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| Ratu Boko | |
|---|---|
 The gate of Ratu Boko compound | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | candi, fortified settlement complex |
| Town or city | nearYogyakarta (city),Yogyakarta |
| Country | Indonesia |
| Coordinates | 7°46′12″S110°29′20″E / 7.77000°S 110.48889°E /-7.77000; 110.48889 |
| Completed | circa 9th century |
| Client | Sailendra orMataram Kingdom |
Ratu Boko (Javanese:ꦫꦠꦸꦧꦏ,romanized: Ratu Baka) orRatu Boko Palace (Javanese:ꦏꦣꦠꦺꦴꦤ꧀ꦫꦠꦸꦧꦏ,romanized: Kadhaton Ratu Baka) is anarchaeological site inJava. Ratu Boko is located on a plateau, about three kilometres south ofPrambanan temple complex inYogyakarta,Indonesia. The original name of this site is still unclear, however the local inhabitants named this site after King Boko, the legendary king mentioned inRoro Jonggrangfolklore.[1] InJavanese,Ratu Boko means "Stork King".
The site covers 16 hectares in two hamlets (Dawung andSambireja) of the village of Bokoharjo and Prambanan,Sleman Regency. In striking contrast to other Classic-period sites inCentral Java andYogyakarta, which are remains ofHindu temples, Ratu Boko displays attributes of an occupation orsettlement site, although its precise function is unknown.[2] Probably the site was a palace complex which belonged to theShailendra dynasty orMataram Kingdom that also built temples scattered across thePrambanan Plain. The argument was based on the fact that this complex was not a temple nor a building with a religious nature, but a fortified palace instead which is evidence of a remnant of fortified walls and the drymoat of defensive structures.[3] The remains of settlements were also found in Ratu Boko's vicinity. This site is located 196 m above sea level. On the highest point in the site, there is a small pavilion with a panoramic view ofPrambanan withMount Merapi as the background.
According to writer H.J. de Graff, in the 17th century there were many European travelers to Java, who mentioned that there existed an archeological site related to certain King Boko. In 1790, a Dutch researcher, F. Van Boeckholtz was the first to discover the archaeological ruins on top of Ratu Boko Hill. The hill itself is the northwestern branch of theSewu Mountains, located in the southern part of Central and East Java betweenYogyakarta andTulungagung. The publication of the discovery attracted scientists such as Colin Mackenzie, Franz Wilhelm Junghuhn, and Brumun to conduct research and exploration on the site in the year 1814. In the early 20th century, the Ratu Boko site was thoroughly studied by researcher FDK Bosch, who published his findings in a report entitled"Keraton Van Ratoe Boko". This report concluded that the ruins were the remnant of akraton "palace". During these researches, Mackenzie also found a statue of a gold-headed man and woman embracing each other. A stone pillar with ornaments of zoomorphic figures among which are elephants, horses, and others, is also found among the ruins.[1]
The 792 Abhayagiri Vihāra inscription is one of the few written evidences discovered in Ratu Boko site. The inscription mentioned Tejahpurnapane Panamkarana orRakai Panangkaran (746-784), and also mentioned avihāra located on top of the hill, theAbhayagiri Vihāra, which means "vihāra on top of the hill that free from danger". From this inscription it was concluded that King Panangkaran in a later period of his reign wished for a spiritual refuge and created a vihāra named Abhayagiri Vihāra in 792.[1] Rakai Panangkaran was a pious follower ofMahayana Buddhism, aDhyani Buddha statue was discovered on the site, which confirmed its initial Buddhist nature. Nevertheless, some Hindu elements are also found at the site, such as the discovery of statues of Hindu deities:Durga,Ganesha andYoni.
It seems that the compound was later converted to a hilltop fortress by a local landlord named Rakai Walaing Pu Kumbayoni. According to theShivagrha inscription issued byRakai Kayuwangi on 12 November 856, the place was used as a defensive fort, consisting of hundreds of stacked stones. The hilltop fortress was used as a fort during a power struggle in the later days of the Mataram Kingdom.
The Ratu Boko complex consists ofgopura (gates),paseban, pools,pendhapa,pringgitan,kaputren (women's quarter), and meditation caves.
Ratu Boko stands 196 meters above sea level and covers an area of 250.000 square meters. It is divided into four parts, the central, the west, the southeast and the east. The central section of the compound consists of the main gates, a crematorium temple, a pool, a stone pedestal and thepaseban (or audience hall). The southeast part covers thependopo (attached open pavilion),balai-balai (public hall or building), three miniature temples, a pool and a walled compound popularly named by locals askaputren (women's quarter).[1]
At Ratu Boko, traces of probablesecular structures have been found, which were erected on aplateau divided into terraces, separated from each other by stone walls and stone-faced ramparts (talud). The site was reached by a steep path up the northwest slope of the plateau, in the direction of Prambanan. The structural remains in the terrace at Ratu Boko site consist of places with folk names connected with palaces such aspaseban (reception pavilion),pendopo (audience hall) andkaputren (women's quarter). A pool complex lies on a terrace adjoining the east side of the pendopo. A group of artificial caves, probably for meditation, lies to the north, isolated from the rest of the site. These archaeological sites are:
The first of three terraces is reached through a massive gateway built on two levels. On the western edge of this terrace is a hightalud of soft white limestone. The second terrace, separated from the first by andesite wall, is reached through a gateway inpaduraksa form consisting of three doors, a larger central one flanked by two of lesser dimensions. The third terrace, the largest, contains the richest concentrations of archaeological remains. Another talud and andesite wall separate the third terrace from the second terrace, with another connecting gateway of paduraksa form, this time consisting of five doors, again the central one having larger dimensions than the two which flank it.
It is read on the main gate Panabwara that was written byRakai Panabwara, descendant ofRakai Panangkaran. He carved his name there in order to legitimate his authority of this palace.
Literally,Batu Putih means white stone. It is a structure made from white limestone on the north side of the first row of the gate on second terrace.
Beyond the second row of gates on third terrace, on the north side of the plateau there's a structure similar to the base part of the temple with two terraces about 26x26 m in size. On the center of upper terrace is an empty descending square hole. The building probably functioned ascrematorium to burn the corpses.
On the plateau on the third terrace, beside the Candi Pembakaran, there are also several square stone structures. On the structures there are someumpak or stones which serve as the base for wooden columns with holes to support the pillars. These structures are highly suggested as the base of the building, since the pillars, wall, and roof are made fromorganic material, only the stone floor and base still remain.
On the second terrace on the southeast side of the plateau, lies thependopo (audience hall). The pendopo is a square stone enclosure surrounded with andesite stone wall with the smallpaduraksa entrance gates in the north, west, and south sides. In the center of this walled enclosure is a stone base formed by two separated terraces, the terrace on the southern side is smaller than the northern one. This terrace served as the base and floor of the wooden structure since there are someumpak or stones which serve as the base for wooden columns with holes, to support the pillars. Since the pillars, walls, and the roof were made from easily decaying material, such as wood,sirap (wooden shingles roof) orijuk, none of it survived.[4] Only the stone bases still remain, while the organic wooden material of the building is gone.
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On the south side on thependopo, there are small shrines in the form of three miniature temples with a square stone basin located in front of it. This shrine probably served a religious purpose, as some kind of Hindu or Buddhistshrine in the Ratu Boko complex.
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On the eastern side ofpendopo on the lower terrace, there are several andesite stone walled enclosures withpaduraksa gates and a gallery leading to the several pools within. This structure is associated by local folks askaputren (women's quarter), since the pool is believed to be the pleasure garden for king and hisconcubines.
One particular pool (or well) within the bath place is considered sacred by Hindu people called 'Amerta Mantana'. It is believed that the water of Amerta brings luck for anyone who uses it.Hindu people use it inTawur Agung ceremony, one day before theNyepi day, to support the achievement of self purify and to return the earth into her initial harmony.
To the east of the pool there are two stone base structures, yet again probably the remains of a wooden building, of which only the stone base still remains. From this structure, overlooking a valley on the east side of Ratu Boko compounds, visitors can seeCandi Barong, a Hindu temple complex across the valley on the slope of the hill in the east.
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At the northern part frompendopo, isolated from the rest of the site, lies two caves that were formed of sediment stones. The upper cave is called Gua Lanang (Male Cave) and the lower cave is called Gua Wadon (Female Cave). In front of Gua Lanang, there is a pond and three effigies. Based on the research, the effigy is known asAksobya, one ofBuddha Pantheons. The cave probably functioned as a meditation place.
Ratu Boko site has yielded many smaller artifacts including statues, both Hindu (Durga,Ganesha,Garuda, aLinga and aYoni) and Buddhist (three unfinishedDhyani Buddhas).Other finds include ceramics and inscriptions; a golden plate with the writing "Om Rudra ya namah swaha" on it as form of worship to Rudra as another name ofShiva. This proved that theHindus andBuddhist live together with tolerance or in asyncretism.
Despite the large quantity and variety of remains found there, the exact functions of Ratu Boko site is still unknown. Some believe it was the former palace of ancientMataram Kingdom; other scholars interpret this site asmonastery. While third group holds that it was a place for rest and recreation. Inscriptions shows that the site was occupied at least during the 8th and 9th centuries. Five inscriptions in pre-Nagari script andSanskrit describe the construction of a shrine forAvalokitesvara. One inscriptions refers to the constructions of a Buddhist monastery modelled after AbhayagiriVihara (means a monastery on a peaceful hill) inSri Lanka, where a group of ascetic forest dwellingmonks resided.Three dated inscriptions inOld Javanese and poetic Sanskrit recount the erection of twolingga, and bear the date of 778 Saka or 856 AD. Another undated inscription mentions the erection of lingga named Hara at the order of King Kalasobhawa.
King Boko is a legendary character known from popular folklore ofLoro Jonggrang. This folklore connects the Ratu Boko Palace, theDurga statue inPrambanan temple (which is identified by local folklore as Loro Jonggrang), and the origin of theSewu temple complex nearby.Prince Bandung Bondowoso loved Princess Loro Jonggrang, the daughter of King Boko, but she rejected his proposal of marriage because Bandung Bondowoso had killed King Boko and ruled her kingdom. Bandung Bondowoso insisted on the union, and finally Loro Jonggrang was forced to agree for a union in marriage, but she posed one condition: Bandung must build her a thousand temples in one night. He entered into meditation and conjured up a multitude of spirits (genies or demons) from the earth. They succeeded in building 999 temples. Loro Jonggrang then woke her palace maids and ordered them to begin pounding rice. This awoke theroosters, which began to crow. The genies, hearing the sound of morning, believed the sun was about to rise and so disappeared back into the ground. Thus the prince was fooled, in revenge he cursed the princess and turned her into a stone statue. According to the traditions, she is the image ofDurga in the north cell of the Shiva temple at Prambanan, which is still known as Loro Jonggrang ("Slender Maiden").
