The Mendut Temple and Its Interesting Legend

The Mendut Temple (Candi Mendut) in Central Java-Indonesia is about three kilometers eastward from The Borobudur Temple (Candi Borobudur). This Buddhist temple that built in 824 AD has its interesting legend. It’s about a beautiful woman named Roro Mendut and her tragic love story.

Article below is the story about Roro Mendut. Please note that dialogues at this story are just my invention for a specific use.

THE LEGEND OF RORO MENDUT

Once upon a time, The King of The Mataram Kingdom released an order to all citizens of The Pesantenan Regency to give over their belongings to The Mataram Kingdom. It, without exception, included boys and girls. Since the Pesantenan Regency was under The Mataran Kingdom’s authority, all citizens here, including Roro Mendut and her husband, Prince Kumada, must bowed to this order. Because of this order, Roro Mendut then lost her family, as well as her husband. She felt so sad about this.

One night, Roro Mendut was sitting in front of Regent Wiroguno’s house. Knowing that the beautiful woman was in front of his house, Wiroguno then getting on toward Mendut.

Wiroguno : “Roro Mendut, why you looked so sad.”

Roro Mendut : “I had lost my everything. My family, my wife, and….”

Wiroguno : “Don’t be sad, beautiful woman. Everything will be fine.”

Roro Mendut : “No, Sir. Everything grew worse.”

Wiroguno : “No, Mendut. Everything will be fine if you would like to be my wife!”

Roro Mendut : “I am married, Sir. I already have a husband. I’ll never blow upon my true love.”

Wiroguno : “But, don’t you know your husband is not here? We don’t even know whether he is alive or not, right? You better get marry with me!”

Roro Mendut : “I’m sure, he is still alive, Sir! I’ll wait for him till we meet again!”

Getting a load of Mendut’s answers, Wiroguno then champed at the bit.

Wiroguno : “Ok! You may reject my demand. But, as compensation, you must pay me a large number of taxes. It is an order. You must amenable!”

Wiroguno was doing so in the hope that Roro Mendut would give-up then willing to be his wife, since he thought it was a quite bad punishment that impossible to be finished by Mendut. But, what really happened was beyond Wiroguno’s belief. Though at the beginning Roro Mendut was looked very shocked, but, in the name of her love to her husband, she finally accepted this order. “Ok, Sir. I’ll pay you taxes on the amount that you already order!” Roro Mendut answered.

In order to pay the taxes required, Roro Mendut selling hand made cigarettes. She even made cigarettes herself. And, she sticked on her cigarettes using her tongue then sold it in high price. Since Mendut was well known for her beauty, she could sell a large number of cigarettes that resulted in high income. She finally completed to pay taxes as required by Wiroguno on time.

TO BE CONTINUED...