The Consort of Ken Arok
According to Pararaton and local tradition, Ken Arok's usurpation of Tunggul Ametung was caused by Ken Dedes' exceptional beauty and charisma. The story goes that Ken Arok happened to be standing close to where the royal carriage came to halt and caught a glimpse of the young queen as she descended. When Ken Dedes' clothes accidentally parted, Ken Arok caught sight of her naked legs and thighs and he saw that her genital were 'shining'. A Brahmin, Lohgawe, told Ken Arok that this radiance was the sign that Ken Dedes bears the divine quality and would be the bearer of kings. The beauty of Ken Dedes was said to have been so perfect that whoever married her, regardless of his status, would inevitably be destined to become king of kings. By this, Ken Arok was motivated to murder and usurped Tunggul Ametung.
Ken Arok later launched a campaign and succeeded to defeat Kertajaya, king of Kediri, and founded his own kingdom, Singhasari. Ken Dedes became his wife, the first queen of Singhasari. According to local beliefs, the statue of Prajnaparamita, the goddess of transcendental wisdom in buddhist tradition, found in Cungkup Putri near Singhasari temple, was made in her likeness. Probably served as her mortuary deified statue.
Anusapati, Ken Dedes's son from Tunggul Ametung, her first husband, murdered Ken Arok and became the second ruler of Singhasari.
An image of a statue of Ken Dedes appeared on the obverse of the 10Rp banknote issued by Bank Indonesia in 1952.
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