THE RAT TEMPLE IN MOJOKERTO
Image by Michael Gunther - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0 |
The Rat Temple is a very special temple because the water and its bricks have a magic power that is able to drive rats and mice away and predicts the approach of the rainy season.
It is located in Temon village, Trowulan subdistrict and it’s about 13 kilometers from the south of Mojokerto city.
It’s around 600 meters from Bajangratu temple. While you reach the main road of Mojokerto-Jombang, turn east and pass Segaran pool. The Rat temple is on the left side of the road.
The Rat Temple was discovered in 1914 after being buried in the ground for centuries. The villagers reported to the regent that they suffered a severe rat attack. They found that all the rats came from a large mound of earth.
After the mound was removed, the villagers saw an ancient temple in the ground and they named it The Rat Temple.
A lot of farmers come to the Rat Temple for water because they believe that it has the efficacy of eliminating rat plague at their paddy fields. Most people say that prevention is better than cure.
The Rat Temple stands on a lower surface. It’s at least three and a half meters lower than its surroundings. It’s necessary to walk down the staircase on the north side to reach the base of the temple.
The main material for building the temple is brick, while the fountains are made of andesite. The steplike retaining wall is useful to hold back earth. There should be 46 fountains altogether, but only 19 remain and the rest are kept in Majapahit museum. Some fountains are in the shape of lotus flower and others have the shape of makara (a legendary sea creature in Hindu culture).
Water has played an important role in human spiritual life since the prehistoric days. According to the paranormal experts, water has the prana to clean the dirt of the astral bodies. It’s not surprising that the water coming out of the Rat Temple is considered capable to fertilize the villagers’ rice fields. Hence, they’re able to double their harvests and ward off evil.
It isn’t clear when and by whom the temple was built. As the miniature towers have the particular architectural style, it is estimated that the temple was built from 13th to 14th century.
It is said that the temple was also the bathing pool for princesses. The fabulous mountain shape of the towers give the impression that this temple functioned as the sacred place for people to worship.
The Rat Temple is more like a holy bathing pool. Almost all the structures that have the size of 29.5 m x 28.25 m are built of red bricks. They’re about 3.5 m lower than the surface of the earth.
The Rat Temple is one of the beautiful tourist attractions and it’s worth visiting. The locals are so friendly and they are always ready to provide you the information about the temple.
It is very convenient to go there by car or bus. Google maps will show you the exact location and you don’t have to worry that you’ll lose your way.
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