Ratu Boko Temple

Ratu Boko Temple is located about 3 kilometers south of Prambanan or about 19 kilometers from Yogyakarta. Regions Ratu Boko temple is located on top of a hill with a height of about 195 meters above sea level, located in the two villages, Dawung and Sambirejo.

Ratu Boko site is actually not a temple, but the remnants of an empire. Ratu Boko temple is often called Kraton Ratu Boko. Called Boko Palace, as it is the Ratu Boko Palace, Lara's father Jonggrang. The word "Keraton" comes from the word Ka-ra-tu-an, which means the king's palace. The estimated Ratu Boko site was built in the 8th century AD by the Buddhist Sailendra dynasty, later taken over by the king of Mataram Hindu. The transition resulted in the building owner Kraton Boko being influenced by Buddhism and Hinduism.

The temple was discovered by an archaeologist from the Netherlands, HJ De Graaf in the 17th century AD. In 1790 Van Boeckholtz find again the ruins of ancient buildings. His discovery of the site is published, thus attracting some scientists like Makenzie, Brumun, and Junghun, who did the recording site in 1814. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Ratu Boko site was investigated by FDK Bosch. Research results are reported in the article titled Ratoe van Kraton Boko. When Mackenzie doing research, he found a statue depicting a male and female-headed god being embraced. And also among the stones found a stone pillar with animal pictures, such as horses, elephants, and others.

At Ratu Boko site was found a stone inscription dated 792 AD, called Inscription Abhayagiriwihara. Fill inscription underlying assumption that Ratu Boko temple was built by Rakai Panangkaran. Abhayagiriwihara inscription was written using the letters pranagari, which is one of the hallmark features of Buddhist inscriptions. In the inscription it is mentioned that the king had ordered the construction of Tejapurnama Panangkarana Abhayagiriwihara. The same name is also referred to in the inscription Kalasa, Mantyasih inscriptions, and inscriptions Central Wanua III. According to experts, the word Abhaya means peace, and Giri means mountain. Thus, Abhayagiriwihara means monastery built on a peaceful hill. In the reign of Rakai Walaing Kombayon Pu 898 years until 908, Abhayagiri Vihara was renamed Walaing Palace.

Ratu Boko temple occupies a wide area and consists of several groups of buildings. Most of the building is in a state still broken.