Once upon a time, there was an old man with supernatural power by the name of Kiai Gede Penanggungan. He had a beautiful daughter but she was still single - Dewi Walangangin. Kiai Gede Penanggungan prayed days and nights for her daughter. Finally, a young handsome man by the name of Jaka Pandelegan came to his place. He saw the Kiai and told him that he wanted to learn a lot of things from him. The Kiai  agreed to make him his student with one condition – married his daughter.

After several years living with Kiai Gede Penanggungan, now it was time for the couple to leave him and found a new life as husband and wife. Before they go, the Kiai gave them seed of pari* and asked them to give some to people who needed. Another message was not to be arrogant when they are rich.

They planted the seed in their new place and soon grew a lot of rice. Now the couple became very rich. The poor neighbours came to the couple to ask for some pari seed. "No way! If you want to eat, you have to work hard like me!" said Jaka.

Kiai Gede Penanggungan heard his bad behaviour and he decided to visit him to remind about his promise. When Kiai arrived in the rice field, he called Jaka, but Jaka ignored him by keeping doing his activity. When he called his daughter, she did the same as his husband. Kiai was really angry, and he said, "You two are like temples. You cannot listen to me." Soon after he said those words, slowly Jaka and Dewi turned into temples. Because the temples stood among the pari, people then named them as Pari Temple.

** Pari means rice