The Fascinating History of Ratu Boko Temple

Heri Supriyanto

3 min readFeb 17, 2024

The history of Ratu Boko temple is an interesting story that deserves to be known

Hello guys, if in the previous article I only briefly discussed the history of Ratu Boko temple

But in this article, I will discuss in more detail this temple.

History of Ancient Mataram

It all started with a mix of cultures.

At that time there was a cultural mixing between Indian culture and Javanese culture.

So at that time, cultural acculturation was formed called Javanese Hindu culture

This cultural mixing occurred between the 8th-10th century period

At that time the glory of the Hindu kingdom flourished in the land of Java along with the Buddhist kingdom.

So this cultural influence from India is very deep

And can be seen in everyday life in terms of government, economy, agriculture, and even buildings

The beginning of the entry of Hinduism into Java

The first wave of Hindu entry into Indonesia is estimated in the first and second centuries

Its peak period was around the 5th century

The influence of Buddhism entered around the 8th century

and quickly spread on the island of Java within a few years.

Hinduism, especially the Shiva sect, developed rapidly side by side with the Javanese kingdoms

and cooperating with them.

In its journey, Hinduism and Buddhism can go hand in hand.

In the 7th and 8th centuries, acculturation took place very quickly and deeply from Indian culture to local culture.

Archaeological Relics in the Prambanan Temple area

The existence of archaeological remains is an archive of the existence of a civilization in its time

Likewise, in the Hindu-Buddhist era, the formation of art at that time was widely seen in the form of religious buildings called temples.

If we look further, these artifacts are not just the physical appearance of the building at that time,

but even more

So is the complexity of culture and civilization

and the society behind its presence.

The Prambanan area is an area rich in archaeological clusters and sites.

Stamford Raffles considers Prambanan and its surroundings as the ruins of the city of Medang Kamulan

which is known as the capital of the Hindu Mataram Kingdom.

History of Ratu (Queen ) Boko Site

The history of the Ratu Boko site begins with the resignation of Rakai Panangkaran or Tejahpurnapanne Panamkarana

The ancient Buddhist king of Mataram.

This king built the Abhayagirivihara monastery mentioned in the inscription of the same name in 792 AD.

The pavilion and the cave are the initial buildings of the temple on Walaingi Hill

and are then believed to be the Ratu Boko Site.

Rakai Panangkaran as the greatest king of Ancient Mataram resigned due to old age and wanted to be exiled.

The conclusion of the history of Ratu Boko temple

Ratu Boko site was founded by Rakai Panangkaran, a Buddhist king.

The monastery occupies a large area with a closed nature.

It is estimated that this temple was used by Rakai Panangkaran himself.

Although in the inscription it is referred to as a monastery,

in reality, it is not much different from the palace

The function of the Ratu Boko complex as a temple does not seem to last long.

Because in 856 AD there was an invasion and occupation of the complex

by Rakai Walaing Pu Kumbhayoni.

And there is an assumption that he is the founder of this building with a Hindu religious background

Around the settlement complex, many objects were found

That could be used as indicators of settlement, especially pottery shards.