The temple was mentioned in the Javanese poem
Nagarakretagama canto 37:7 and 38:3 and also in
Gajah Mada inscription dated 1351 and discovered in the temple's yard. According to these sources, the temple is the funerary temple of
King Kertanagara (ruled 1268 — 1292), the last king of the
Singhasari dynasty, whose assassination in 1292 by Jayakatwang of
Gelang-gelang finally led to the establishment of
Majapahit rule. The temple's unfinished state can be seen in the incomplete
kala head over its lower entrance. The temple faces northwest. Its lower level is
Shaiva, but the temple has a second
cella on the upper level, that was a
Buddhist dedication. Alternate spellings: Kertanagara for Kertanegara, and Singosari for Singhasari. Significant features of the temple include: • A pair of colossal
Dvarapalas--giant monolith statues as the guardians of Singhasari royal cemeteries • A well-carved Kala on the west upper face • A large original statue of
Shiva as
Batara Guru (or, perhaps, Shiva as
Agastya) in the lower southern
cella. == Gallery ==