Ratu Boko Palace

Ratu Boko Palace located 3 km from Prambanan temple and 196 meters above sea level. On the area about 250,000 meters square and it is divided by four, they are middle, west, southeast and east. In the middle part including of main gate, yard, burning temple, pond/pool, stairs of stone and paseban (a place for gathering). In the southeast: Pendopo (hall), rooms/gazebos, 3 temples, pond/pool and keputren complex (special place for women only). Cave complex, Buddha statue and pond/pool on the eastern. For the western we will find hills. Ratu Boko Palace, firstly named Abhayagiri Vihara, means a place for monks which is located on the peaceful hill. It is a place for praying, meditating, and spiritual life activities. On this palace we can feel comfort and peace during starring to Yogyakarta and Prambanan views with Merapi volcano as the background. As a site Ratu Boko Palace is very unique compare to other sites. Commonly others sites as a temple or a shrine, according to its name Ratu Boko Palace is a palace which has housing complex character for living. It is shown by some pillars, roofs from wood although we only see some stones for foundation now. It was built by Buddhist, but we find Hindu’s characters around Ratu Boko Palace. We can prove and see Lingga and Yoni, Ganesha statue and Gold statement that praying for Shiva (Rudra). Hindus and Buddhist lived together in harmony at that time. Ratu Boko Palace based on several archeologists has multi functions because it has some components, fortress of palace, caves and house for living. But until right now, Ratu Boko Palace still has mysterious part, when it was built, whom did built it, for what, etc. The renovation of Ratu Boko site started since the Dutch colonialism in 1938, and then continued by Indonesian Government in 1952.

source: http://tourism-joglosmart.blogspot.com/