The original article was published by TimesIndonesia.co.id. Read HERE.
Writer: Dhina Chahyanti
TIMESINDONESIA, MALANG – Connected through a bridge from the original Ampenan reception house, this large open-air dining hall with high ceilings is inspired by a Hindu Majapahit tale of a beautiful princess, Dewi Sri. This goddess and her older brother were turned into a snake and a rooster under the powerful spell of their father, King Purwacarita, because they refused to live in the palace.
For good behavior while being under the spell, the God of all gods, Sang Hyang Jagadnata freed Dewi Sri from her spell and she became a heavenly goddess. Her brother, the rooster, was also turned to a deity. Now, a gigantic statue of the Rooster deity stands tall on top of and along the length of the lobby roof, greeting the sun every morning that rises behind the sacred Mount Rinjani.
The sound of the rooster (Kokok pletok) becomes the name of the lobby, signaling the first sighting of the sun the source of life for all beings, in the early mornings. Under the rooster roof, the lobby pays tribute to the goddess Dewi Sri, the goddess of rice who lives underground and romances the full moon. This lobby is the perfect place for romantic honeymoon dining and weddings. Just like how she fertilizes the rice crops, Dewi Sri is also believed to give fertility to human – thus, for those expecting to have babies……
Goddess Dewi Sri is the wife of God Vishnu, the god protecto r of all creations. In temples from the ancient Hindu times, the statue Dewi Sri was always placed near the statue of God Vishnu, as seen in the Barong temple of the 9th century. Across of the Dewi Sri lobby is the giant statue of God Vishnu, in the shape of Dasa Muka (the Ten Faces of Barong).
In the tales of Mahabharata and Bhagavat Gita (translated as the Song of Heaven), the handsome God Vishnu turned to a ten-faced giant when he was overcome with anger, confronted with the arrogance and greed of the Kurawa brothers, who took over the Kingdom of Astina from their half-brothers Pandawa.
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