Indonesia is one of the countries in Southeast Asia which has a rich culture and has along the historical journey. In past, a longtime before the modern era began, the history of Indonesia was full of tradition and heritage stories. Indonesia is another country in Southeast Asia that has a history that relates to victory kingdoms in the past era a long time before the modern era develop as we know present. The heritage history of kingdoms in Indonesia becomes something interesting that must be known and keep to be preserved. The existence of Indonesia's historical place brings this country becomes rich culture and traditional country. Related to that, at the end of the day, heritage place became an asset of the country and can be one of the media brandings. The most side which relates to historical and heritage place is tourism side. Historical place in Indonesia is one of the interesting archeological tourism places for history buffs.
In Indonesia, Historical archaeological tourism is commonly known by many local and international tourists. The historical place that people already know in Indonesia must be Borobudur and Prambanan temples. Those place indeed has its own beauty and interest. But, people forget that Indonesia also has many historical places that people are not familiar with, mostly, these places are witnesses to the glory of the kingdom that ever existed. If you are like to go traveling, you should know the hidden phenomenal historical place in Indonesia. This place is one of the historical heritages places of Indonesia’s biggest empires, named the Majapahit Kingdom. It must be much knowledge that we have to know about the civilization of the Majapahit kingdom in the past era. From the history, it is known that Majapahit is famous for the oaths of Amukti Palapa from Gadjah Mada. For your information, Majapahit Kingdom has a famous figure who did bring the name of Majapahit at the height of its glory, they are Queen Tribhuwanotunggadewi Jayawisnuwardhani and king Hayam Wuruk.
The location of Majapahit kingdom historical sites is not widely known, Majapahit heritage sites that can be visited are located in one of the districts in Jawa Timur, Indonesia. It is in Trowulan, located at 60 km southwest of the city of Surabaya. If you visit Trowulan you will know and get a lot of stories and historical evidence that can be seen about civilization in the 13th century first. It was established in 1293 and is expected to collapse in 1521 AD. Based on my experience living near these sites, there are more than 10 Majapahit royal heritage sites that can be visited. These tourism places are highly recommended for low budget travelers because this historical place has an entry fee of no more than Rp.5000 to enter each legacy site, even some of them are free of entry fees.
The first historical sites that you can visit is Brahu Temple. This temple located at Dukuh Jambu Mente, Bejijong, Trowulan district, Mojokerto regency, East Java. It’s about two kilometers north of the Mojokerto highway. According to local residents, this temple is believed to be the capital of the Majapahit kingdom in the past. Brahu Temple's shape resembles a human waist in the middle angles and has many angles. It was built using red stone and facing to the west. The roof shape of the temple is prism-angled with a rectangular, quite different from most other temples. Around the Temple of Brahu, there is a garden with shady trees and green grass that enchants, I must make the area of the Temple of Brahu being more mesmerizing. According to local residents, this temple was used to burn the corpse of the king of Majapahit, from King Brawijaya I to Brawijaya IV. But the fact said that it was never found the remains of burning ash.
After visiting Brahu Temple, you can visit Bajang Ratu Temple. Bajang Ratu Temple is located in Dukuh Kraton, Temon Village, Trowulan. Bajang Ratu Temple is a temple that is quite popular because it is often used as a spot for selfie photos which is the best place to take photos. The shape of this temple resembles a gate with stairs going up and down that is similar to the gate of the Majapahit kingdom. Near the Bajang Ratu Temple, there is also the Kedaton Site and the Mojokerto Archaeological Heritage Preservation Hall. According to the national library of the Republic of Indonesia, the name Bajangratu was first mentioned in the Oudheidkunding Verslag (OV) in 1915.
Archaeologist Sri Soeyatmi Satari suspected that the name Bajangratu had something to do with Raja Jayanegara of Majapahit because the word 'bajang' means dwarf. According to the Pararaton Book and folklore, Jayanegara was crowned when he was still single or small, so the title Ratu Bajang or Bajangratu was attached to it. You can find a peaceful atmosphere in this place because it is greeny and has a huge yard. For the entry fee, you are able to give whatever you want, there is no provision. Regarding the function of the temple, it is estimated that the Bajangratu Temple was established in honor of Jayanegara.
Quite near to Bajang Ratu Temple, we can visit Tikus Temple. Tikus Temple is located to the east of the Bajang Ratu Temple. Tikus temple has a unique shape because it is different from other temple forms. The Tikus temple is in the middle of a pool of water. Named as Tikus temple because for the first time this place was discovered, it was full of a rat. This temple is found in the ancient Trowulan complex, about 13 km southeast of the center of the district of Mojokerto. When it was discovered in 1914, the temple was buried underground and restored in 1984. The main function of this temple is still in doubt, according to some ancient archaeologists, this temple has a function as a bathhouse for the king, and some argue that this temple was used as a water reservoir. Around the temple, there is a very large yard, if you go there, you have to be prepared for the sun's heat, so it's recommended to visit this place in the morning or evening.
Those places are the most famous site of the historical heritage place of Majapahit kingdom. There are many more places that you can visit. This heritage complex site is highly recommended to visit in order to remains you that Indonesia has a beautiful and amazing place that people don’t really know. The condition of the place is really well-groomed, so it would be a nice place to travel.
