The history of Bonjeruk Village dates back to around 1852, when Raden Nune Punte, one of the crown princes of the Kedatuan Pujut, moved from his homeland accompanied by fourteen loyal followers. He was in search of a peaceful and fertile place to establish a new settlement.
Their journey first brought them to Presak, where they founded the Kedatuan Jonggat. During this era, systems of governance, village layout, and customary laws began to take shape. Local arts also flourished, and culinary traditions developed rapidly — especially because delicious food was needed to welcome royal guests and community visitors. just within one periode, over 3000 people from previous land came over and happily being parts of Kedatuan jonggat communities.
Raden Nune Punte’s descendant, Raden Nune Umas, later formalized the settlement into a village under the regulations of the government at that time. The village was named Bonjeruk. The name comes from two words in the Sasak language: Bon, meaning well, and Jeruk, meaning lime — inspired by a well that never ran dry and was surrounded by lime trees bearing abundant fruit.
In 1886, during the Dutch colonial period, Bonjeruk was designated as a district center, governing areas that extended as far as the present-day Mandalika region.
Today, Bonjeruk stands as one of the oldest villages in Central Lombok, once serving as the center of the Jonggat Kingdom and the administrative heart during the colonial era. Its legacy continues to live on through its traditions, cultural arts, and community life
Several decades after the early royal governance period, attention to environmental conservation and cultural preservation began to decline. Society started to evolve with new lifestyles and external influences brought by globalization.
Amid these changes, a new generation of Bonjeruk residents — those who cared deeply about nature, culture, and creative local economy — began to search for solutions to revive their village’s identity.
At the same time, Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism launched a program to empower rural areas with tourism potential through Community-Based Tourism (CBT) initiatives. Inspired by this opportunity, several Bonjeruk villagers who had experience in the tourism sector took immediate action to transform their beloved hometown into a Tourism Village.
Their efforts were warmly supported by both the local village government and the Central Lombok Tourism Office. On March 21, 2018, the Tourism Awareness Group (Pokdarwis) of Bonjeruk was officially formed at the Bonjeruk Bamboo Market and formally recognized by the Head of the Central Lombok Tourism Office.
Thirty enthusiastic young people attended the founding event, and Usman was elected as the first Chairman of Pokdarwis Bonjeruk.
Two years later, in 2020, the Regent of Central Lombok officially inaugurated Bonjeruk Village as a Tourism Village, marking a new chapter in its long and proud history — a place where tradition, creativity, and sustainable tourism grow hand in hand.