Candi Tikus: The Rat Temple of Majapahit Trowulan
Candi Tikus Trowulan: what you will see
Candi Tikus Trowulan is a Majapahit-period water sanctuary in the Trowulan area of Mojokerto Regency, East Java. It is best understood as a sunken petirtaan—a ritual bathing structure—rather than as a tall, enclosed temple. A square brick basin sits below the surrounding ground; steps on its north side lead down to a smaller world of terraces and miniature shrine-like forms. The setting and layout are the visit: you look down into the basin, descend to its floor, and read the central composition from close range.
The name means “Rat Temple”, but it comes from the story of the site’s discovery, not from its architecture or any dedication to rats. The structure was uncovered in 1914 when a mound was dug out. Its form and scale make it a particularly clear stop for understanding why Trowulan’s archaeological remains include waterworks and ritual spaces as well as gates and temples.
How to read the sunken plan
From the edge, first notice the change in ground level. The building lies well below the land around it. That lowered position can make the site feel like a courtyard or pool rather than a conventional temple platform. This is a compact enclosure, not a sprawling complex: you can take in its whole geometry from the upper edge before deciding to descend.
The entrance is on the north. A flight of steps carries visitors from ground level to the lower floor, so the site is experienced vertically as well as across its plan. From the bottom, turn back towards the steps to understand how much of the building is below the surrounding landscape. Then look inward: the basin is framed by raised edges, while the central brick construction rises in diminishing tiers. These shifts in height are easier to follow in person than in a flat photograph.
The central arrangement resembles a miniature mountain surrounded by smaller towers. The resemblance has led to the reading that the design models Mount Mahameru, the cosmic mountain of Hindu tradition, rising from a basin of water. That is an interpretation of the architecture. What you can see for yourself are the terraces and miniature forms.
Look for the water spouts, called jaladwara, set into the walls of the structure. Their placement makes the water function legible even when the basin is dry. Rather than imagining a decorative pond added around a shrine, consider how the water and the brick architecture belong to one designed space: the basin held water, while the tiered centre and the spouts shaped how it moved through the enclosure.
Why Candi Tikus is called the Rat Temple
The name is tied to the discovery account. In 1914, a mound in the area was reported to be a rat nest, and when it was dug out, a buried brick structure appeared. The name Candi Tikus followed that episode. It is a memorable label, but it can mislead a first-time visitor into expecting animal carvings or a shrine devoted to rats. The defining features are instead the lowered basin, brick terraces and central miniature forms.
The site was restored in the 1980s. What visitors see today is therefore an archaeological monument whose present form includes conservation and reconstruction work. The arrangement is easy to observe, but the current appearance should not be mistaken for an untouched structure that stood exposed from the Majapahit period onward.
Where the temple fits in Trowulan
Trowulan is the area of the former Majapahit capital, and Candi Tikus belongs to a wider archaeological landscape rather than standing as an isolated attraction. Its relationship to water gives it a different role in a day of site visits from a gateway such as Candi Bajang Ratu. The two lie a short distance apart, close enough to pair. Seeing both helps distinguish a sunken water sanctuary from a monumental passage through a gateway.
That contrast is more useful than treating every brick ruin as the same kind of “temple”. At Tikus, the lowered basin and outlets direct attention to water and ritual bathing. At Bajang Ratu, the tall, roofed gateway frames passage. A short walk between them can therefore add architectural variety without requiring a long drive across the region. For the larger historical setting and the dispersed monuments, use the Trowulan guide; for a brick temple with a very different plan, in Sidoarjo Regency rather than Mojokerto, compare Candi Pari.
More broadly, the Trowulan landscape includes gates, bathing places, settlement remains, reservoirs and other traces. Individual monuments are strong visual reminders, but they do not form a complete, continuously preserved city that can be read street by street. Candi Tikus is most informative when you connect its specific water-oriented design to that broader landscape while resisting the temptation to make it stand as proof of every detail about the former capital.
Planning a visit around the descent and viewpoint
Allow time to see the structure from both levels. Begin at the perimeter, where the square plan and central arrangement are easiest to grasp. Then descend the north-side steps if access is open and the stairs are suitable for you. At the bottom, pause rather than walking straight across: the change in height, the water outlets and the central tiers are the features worth examining. On the way back up, turn around for a view that shows the sunken design from within, then look down again from the upper edge.
The stairs are an essential part of the visit, not an optional shortcut to a photo angle. Anyone who has difficulty with steps, balance or uneven surfaces should assess the descent from the top before committing. The site’s below-ground layout also means that a visitor who cannot go down can still understand its overall plan from the surrounding edge, though details at the lower level will be harder to inspect. Do not climb on the brickwork to gain height or reach a better view; the architectural surfaces are the monument.
On a bright day, the sunken floor and raised centre create strong changes of light and shade. From above, those contrasts make the stepped layout clear; from below, they can make the centre feel larger than it appears from outside. If you are photographing the site, include one wide view that shows the enclosing square and one closer view of a water outlet or tier. A single close-up can lose the relationship between the basin and its central structure, which is the point that distinguishes Tikus from a conventional freestanding shrine.
Conditions can alter what is visible. The structure reads as a water sanctuary even when it is dry because the basin and outlets remain in view; after rain or where water is present, the relationship between the built forms and water becomes more immediate. Do not assume the basin is always filled or that the site operates as a bathing pool today. Treat it as a protected archaeological structure, not a place to enter the water.
Pairing Candi Tikus with other nearby stops
Candi Bajang Ratu is the most natural pairing because of the short distance and the architectural contrast. Visit Tikus while you have energy for the stairs and close looking, then use Bajang Ratu to see how a Majapahit gateway occupies space differently. The walk or transfer is short on a map, but shade, road conditions and the exact route affect how comfortable it feels; make the transition based on what you encounter rather than assuming every monument has a direct pedestrian path.
The Trowulan Museum provides a different kind of context: objects on display connect the monuments with finds from the surrounding archaeological area. It is a separate stop rather than the next courtyard beyond Candi Tikus, so plan the day as a sequence of separate sites and allow for the road transfer. The East Java overview helps place Trowulan among the region’s other destinations; begin with the East Java travel guide if you are deciding whether the archaeological area belongs in a wider provincial route.
For a focused outing, two or three sites are more coherent than trying to tick off every named ruin. Tikus answers a particular question—how a water sanctuary was built into a sunken brick enclosure—while Bajang Ratu shows a gateway and the museum gives a collection-based overview. If your interest is specifically the Majapahit landscape, add sites only when their form or evidence answers a new question. This keeps a visit from becoming a string of similar-looking photo stops.
Questions visitors often have
Is Candi Tikus a temple or a bathing pool?
It is a petirtaan, a ritual bathing structure, because its sunken square basin and water outlets are central to its design. “Temple” remains in the conventional site name, but it can give the wrong impression if you picture a tall enclosed sanctuary.
Was Candi Tikus built by the Majapahit rulers?
The monument belongs to the Majapahit period, in the 13th to 14th centuries, within the Trowulan archaeological landscape. No named builder or exact construction year is recorded at the site, so describe it as Majapahit-era rather than crediting a particular ruler.
Does the name come from rat carvings?
No rat imagery is needed to explain the name. It comes from the 1914 discovery story in which the mound was taken for a rat nest until it was excavated and the structure appeared.
Can you go down into the basin?
The design includes a north-side stairway descending to the lower level. Whether visitors can use it on a particular day depends on site access and conditions, so check what is open when you arrive. Anyone uncertain about footing should judge the stairs from above first.
How long should I spend at the site?
There is no need to assign a fixed duration. A quick look from above takes less time than descending, observing the outlets and tiers, and comparing the two levels. If you have travelled to Trowulan primarily for its archaeological remains, the short distance to Bajang Ratu and the wider area are better reasons to make this one part of a deliberate visit rather than a standalone long journey.
Related guides: Majapahit Empire: East Java's Medieval Kingdom, Raden Ronggolawe: The First Adipati of Tuban and Majapahit Rebel, Damarwulan Legend: Majapahit, Blambangan and the Minakjinggo Story, Ancient Kingdoms of East Java: Rulers, Realms and Ruins.