Bajang Ratu, Historical gateway in Trowulan, Indonesia
Bajang Ratu is a red brick gateway in Trowulan, East Java, Indonesia, standing roughly 17 meters tall and built as a freestanding monument. The structure displays relief panels on all sides showing figures from Hindu and Buddhist stories, while the upper sections feature geometric patterns carved into the stonework.
The gateway was built in the 14th century under the Majapahit Empire and erected to honor King Jayanegara, who died in 1328. The monument originally marked the entrance to a royal compound in the capital at that time and is now one of the few remaining stone structures from that period in the region.
The name comes from a Javanese term for a protective spirit believed to guard travelers passing through the gateway. Visitors today still see remnants of religious symbols along the side walls that point to ceremonies from Majapahit times and remain treated with care by local communities.
The gateway sits about 200 meters from the main road between Mojokerto and Jombang and can be reached on foot within a few minutes. Several other archaeological sites in Trowulan are nearby and can be visited in a single day, ideally during dry weather in the morning hours.
Local traditions hold that government officials avoid walking through the gateway because it might bring them misfortune. This belief remains observed by many people in the area today and leads local authorities to choose alternate paths when visiting the archaeological site.
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