GEDONG SONGO TEMPLE

Gedong Sanga or Gedong Songo is located in Desa Candi, Bandungan Subdistrict, Semarang Regency or exactly at the slope of Mount Ungaran, at about 1.200 m above sea level. The closest route to the temple is Semarang - Bandungan. After Bandungan Traditional Market at the centre of Bandungan Town, take the route at the left side, about 350 m, and find a junction and then turn right, until end of the street. At the end of the street, we find Gedong Songo Tourism Place. Afterwards, we continue the journey by walking along the path to Gedong I, Gedong II, until Gedong VII. Sometimes the area of Mount Ungaran covered by mist. At the north, we could see panorama of Ungaran and at the south-west, we find the magnificent Mount Telomoyo, with so many hills and rice fields. Gedong Songo Complex has a beautiful natural panorama at every side of it. 

Gedong Songo was first found by Loten in 1740. Then in 1804 Sir Thomas Stanford Raffles, the governor of British Government in Java recorded data of the temple and named it "Gedong Pitoe" or Seven Temples because there were seven remain temples there. The research on Gedong Pitoe was continued by Friederich van Hoopermans in 1865 and then Van Stein Callenfels, a Dutch archeolog in 1908 - 1911. He conducting research on Gedong Pitoe and he found the other two temples in ruins. He combined Gedong Pitoe and the two temples and named them "Gedong Sanga" (Gedong Songo). So why the temple complex is still called "Gedong Sanga or Gedong Songo" in the present day. 

In 1928 the Dutch Government began to reconstruct Gedong I and Gedong II and continued by the Indonesian Government in 1982, for all temples. The first official publication on Gedong Songo was carried out by van Braam in 1925 and the name "Gedong Songo" became so well-known in Java, even in the world.

Although there is not any inscription about the temple, people and archeologists believe that Gedong Sangat Temple were built in the reign of Queen Shima of Kalinggajati Kingdom, an ancient famous Hindu Kingdom before Medang, that was located at the north area of Central Java. It stretched from the eastern part of Central Java to the south part of Central Java. Kalinggajati was very close to Galuh Kingdom in West Java. Before territorial division of Kalinggajati into Medang i Bhumi Mataram and Medang i Bhumi Sambhara, Kalinggajati was very superior to other kingdoms in Java Island. Through the power of Kalinggajati Queen, Shima, the kingdom could maintain a superior defense against Sriwijaya Kingdom and also could build any religious temples around its territories.

There is a tale about Gedong Songo :

Following the guidance of Sang Adi Brahman, GOD The Almighty, the queen began to arrange a journey to Bukit Ngungrungan (present day:  Mount Ungaran), to build a temple complex there. She ordered Ki Ajar Salokantara, a handsome and gallant spiritual teacher, to lead the team to depart to Bukit Ngungrungan (Bukit Suralaya), to find the exact location for the temples.

Ki Ajar Salokantara began to start the journey. Unpredictabled by him, Queen Shima, followed the team secretly. After 4 days, Ki Ajar and his team arrived at a place, but he prohibited the team to stop to get a rest there, so the place was named "Larangan". Afterwards, the journey continued by walking along mountain slopes of Bukit Ngungrungan. There, an aromatic perfume was smelt by the team, so the place was named "Darum", from the word "Arum". After departed from Darum, the team got entered to the exact location for the temples. Before he and his team prepared the contruction of nine temples, they meditated by closing Babahan Hawa Sanga (9 holes at human body)) or in Javanese Language named "Nggedhong Babahan Hawa Sanga". So, they named the place "Gedong Sanga". Day after day, the team built the first temple until the eight temple.

After finishing the eight temple, a young lady named Rara Ari Wulan as chef head of the team was called to meet Ki Ajar. Ki Ajar forbade her and her chef members, not to put knives they used at their thighs while sitting down. This prohibition must be overcome by Rara Ari Wulan and all her members.

But, unfornately, one day Rara Ari Wulan forgot the prohibiton and she put her own knive at her thighs. The knive was disappeard suddenly and got into her womb. She was very shocked and she ran away to visit Ki Ajar. Ki Ajar told her, he could not help her, because he could not eliminate the prohibition.

After 4 months, Rara Ari Wulan got pregnant. She was very ashame and she left the team and went to forest near Gedong Sanga. Ki Ajar followed her secretly, he left all his team members, those were constructing the final temple in Bukit Ngungrungan. He walked through mountain slopes and after 3 days he arrived at location and made the place as a hermitage. He named the place "Telomoyo". He meditated there month by month, until Rara Ari Wulan gave birth. 

When she was giving birth in the forest, she was shocked because the baby was a snake. The baby was not a human-being. She took care the baby until he became a teenage giant snake. She named the baby "Bhra Klinting" or in Javanese "Naga Bandung". One day, Bhra Klinting asked his mother about his father. He wondered to visit his father. Rara Ari Wulan told him that his father was Ki Ajar Salokantoro. So, the giant snake "Bhra Klinting" said good bye to his mother dan began journey to find his father.