May 15, 2010

Gedung Agung

When tracing back the history of Indonesian independence in Yogyakarta you cannot leave off the President’s Residence The Residence lies upon a 43.858 square meter land and is also known as Gedung Agung. The naming was thought to be related to one of the functions of the main palace as a room for receiving noble guests.

Gedung Agung is one of the six President’s Residences in Indonesia who played an important role in the struggle for Indonesian independence and life. The other are Istana Negara and Istana Merdeka (Jakarta), Istana Bogor (Bogor), Istana Cipanas (Cipanas), and Istana Tampak Siring (Bali). The construction of Gedung Agung was initiated by Anthonie Hendriks Smissaert, the 18 head of Dutch Residency in Yogyakarta (1823-1925) who wanted to own an official office as well as residence for the Dutch Recidents in Yogyakarta. In May 1824 the Indies Governor General then appointed architect A. Payen to start the construction. The construction process was delayed due to Diponegoro War outbreak (1825-1830) which was also known as the Java War (Java Oorlog). After the war ended, the construction continued and finished in 1832. When an earthquake hit Yogyakarta on June 10 1867, the building collapsed. It was reconstructed and finished in 1869. More ... >>

May 3, 2010

EloProgo Art House

On Monday, March 15, 2010 at 11 a.m., I left for Magelang. From Km 13 Kaliurang Street, Yogyakarta, I took the alternative road northward to EloProgo Art House at Bejen, Wanurejo, Borobudur, Magelang. In this place, the heart of the archipelago, the middle of eastern and western Indonesia, I wrote a note about the fine art and culture of this art and cultural house.

Arriving at EloProgo Art House, I entered a gate with a dragon and a buffalo statues. A few meters forward, I could hear the sound of water. I parked my motorcycle and rushed to enjoy EloProgo vast river flow. I grinned, almost as wide as the coffee cup I use to drink coffee back home, a moment before i ran to that scented land.

At EloProgo Art House, I met the owner whom I used to chat on Facebook. We introduced each other, shared ideas and discussed about Malay art, culture and values. My conclusion was that the owner is a brilliant painter with egalitarian character and broad knowledge. He is Sony Santosa, the painter.

Sony Santosa was born in Curup, Rejang Lebong, Bengkulu. His mother belongs to Basemah ethnic group in South Sumatra, while his father belongs to Rejang ethnic group in Bengkulu. Sony spent his youth on the streets of Jakarta. Then, in 1989, he decided to go to Ubud, Bali, to develop painting. Two years afterwards, in 1991 – 1992, he established his Painting Gallery in Ubud. In 1993, he founded another gallery called Sony Painters Place.
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Apr 29, 2010

Penglipuran Traditional Village

Bali is the island of millions of wonders. Not only is it popular as the Island of Gods or the Island of Thousands of Temples with gorgeous scenery, Bali is also known as the island of thousands of symbols due to the various customs and traditions strongly attached on the Balinese. The beauty of its panorama and culture makes Bali a favourite tourism destination for domestic and foreign tourists.

The beautiful nature combined with local cultural element and good tourism management gives Bali many tourism awards. Some of the awards received in 2009 are the award for “The Best Exotic Destination” from Luxury Travel Magazine, London, England; “The Best Island” in Pacific Asia from Hongkong based DestinAsia Magazine, and “The Best Spa in The World” from Senses Wellnes Magazine.

Besides its scenic beaches, Bali has a tourism object which presents the enchantment of local culture and daily activities. It is Penglipuran Village, authorized as a traditional village in 1992, a rural area in Bali with a well-ordered lay-out and local government organization as well as strong cultural values maintained by its people.
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Apr 26, 2010

The Sultanate of Serdang

The history of the Sultanate of Serdang, located in East Sumatra, is a complicated and volatile one. The establishment of this sultanate cannot rule of the heyday of the Sultanate of Aceh. The history of the Sultanate of Serdang should begin with Tuanku Sri Paduka Gocah Pahlawan. He was a brave figure known as the Army Commander-In-Chief (Panglima Besar Tentara) and Commander of Aceh Armada (Panglima Armada Aceh). Carrying the banners of the Sultanate of Aceh under the aegis of Sultan Iskandar Muda, Tuanku Sri Paduka Gocah Pahlawan led the conquest operations of the lands along the West and East Coast of Sumatra and reached Johor and Pahang. There were some who said that Tuanku Sri Paduka Gocah Pahlawan who was entitled Laksamana Kuda Bintan was none but Laksamana Malem Dagang who led the Aceh fleet fought against the Portuguese (1629) and conquered Pahang (1617), Kedah (1620), Nias (1624) and more (Tuanku Luckman Sinar Basarshah II, 2007 b:4).

In 1632, Sultan Iskandar Muda authorized Tuanku Sri Paduka Gocah Pahlawan the vice of Aceh Sultan or the representative of the country due to his merit and service to the Sultanate of Aceh. He then led Haru, or later known as East Sumatera (Basarshah II, 2003:2). Haru was in fact an independent kingdom conquered by the Sultanate of Aceh under the command of Tuanku Sri Paduka Gocah Pahlawan. He was the ancestor of the kings in Haru, an area which later changed into Deli and Serdang. The name Haru itself first emerged in the travel journal of a Chinese wanderer who stopped by in Sumatra at around the 13th century. It was stated in the journal that Haru sent a mission to China in 1282 AD when China was ruled by the Mongolian Empire under Kubilai Khan leadership. In addition, the name Haru was also written in Pararaton chronicle in the fragment on Pamalayu Expedition, which explained about Majapahit struggle to conquer Malay starting from the 13th century. Haru was recorded as one of the main countries in Sumatera besides Lamuri, Lamuri, Samudera, Barlak (Perlak), and Dalmyan (Temiang). Negarakertagama by the legendary Mpu Prapanca also treated the existence of Haru by stating that, in addition to Pane, Majapahit also conquered Kompai and Haru. More >>

Apr 5, 2010

Traditional Medical Therapy: Malay Traditional Medical Treatment in Aceh

Acehnese have been known for having the culture which is strongly influenced by Islamic culture. This is reflected in Aceh major Moslem population. In addition, the acculturation of both culture in Aceh is expressed in a proverb “Adat ngon Hukum han jeut Cree, Lagee zat ngon siffeut”, which means that the tradition and Islamic canon law are inseparable as though substance and its characters (M. Alamsyah et.al., 1998/1999:53-54).

The acculturation of tradition (culture) and Islam causes the perspective on culture to be synchronized with Islamic perspective, and so are health problems. Aceh culture views the health for Acehnese must agree with the Islamic view on health. Likewise, Islamic explanation on health must be adjusted to Aceh culture.
Islam advises its adherents to always maintain their health and to make efforts to stay out of illnesses. Moreover, in Acehnese perspective, every illness suffered is Allah’s will (Rusdi Sufi & Agus Budi Wibowo, 2006:28).

Related to that perspective, there is a popular proverb which develops in the Acehnese. It says ‘na umu na ubat’ which means if someone is blessed with long life, every illness he suffers will have its remedy. This perspective is in accordance with the Hadith ‘Allah does not create an illness without its remedy.’ (Alamsyah et.al., 1998/1999:54).
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Gasing: Traditional Game in East Kalimantan

Gasing or top spinning is a traditional toy made of wood and the like, played by spinning it with a string. In East Kalimantan the game is called begasing. Begasing contains many life lessons. Begasing is played only by men, either children, teenager or adult.

According to Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia by Balai Pustaka 2005 on page 339, “gasing” means a toy made of wood and the like, which comes with a (nail or wooden) bolt and is spinned with a string. In Bahasa Indonesia, gasing generally means “spinning very fast”. It can be seen from such common expression as “The football player spins like a gasing after striking his opponent.”

Gasing game is popular almost in all provinces in Indonesia and they have the same term: gasing. In East Kalimantan, the game is called begasing (Karim et al., 1993). The origin of begasing in East Kalimantan is unknown, yet, according to the stories by the local people, the game is considered to be derived from Sumatra and Java. This is due to the fact that a certain culture is strongly attached to its supporters, and is always carried along when they move to a new area. That culture is then socialized and develop in accordance with the new setting. From here then emerged several versions of that culture, gasing is an example.
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Mar 22, 2010

Ratu Boko Temple

Tourists who visit Yogyakarta have been more familiar with Prambanan Temple as the worth visiting destination. Whereas, at three kilometers south of Prambanan Temple there is another remnant of the ancient Mataram Kingdom called Ratu Boko Temple complex. The temple was built in the time of Rakai Panangkaran, a descendant of Syailendra Dynasty.

Ratu boko complex was first found in 1790 by van Boeckhlotz. Yet, a more in depth research was conducted a hundred years afterwards and the result was published in a book entitled Keraton van Ratoe Boko. According to some historians, the temple serves several functions as the palace fort, place of worship and cave.

Ratu Boko stands 196 m above the sea level and covers as wide as 250.000 m2. It is divided into four parts, the center, the west, the southeast and the east. The center part of the temple consists of the main gate, the combustion temple, the pool, the pedestal stone and the paseban (audience hall). The southeast part covers the pendopo (attached open veranda serves as an audience hall), balai-balai (public hall or building), three temples, the pool and harem complex. In this part there is also a well called Amerta Mantana which literally means the holy water. It was believed that the well water had a merit to bring luck for those who drink it. On the east side, there are the cave complex, Buddha stupa and the pool. On the west side there are exciting hills for tourists to take a rest after taking a tour around the temple.
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Prambanan Temple

Prambanan is the biggest Hindu temple complex in Indonesia and South East Asia. Prambanan is also known as Rara Jonggrang Temple. It was built at around 850 BC by Sanjaya Dynasty.

Prambanan occupies as wide as 39,8 acres of land. In 1991 it was contended by the UNESCO World Wonder Heritage. Soaring to 47 meters or 5 meters higher than Borobudur Temple, Prambanan looks dauntless and sturdy. This agrees with the purpose of its establishment, to show the glory of Hindu civilization in Java. More ... >>

Taman Budaya

One of the most visited cultural tourist destination in Yogyakarta is Taman Budaya Yogyakarta (TBY). The establishment of Taman Budaya was initially built at Bulaksumur area of Gadjah Mada University (UGM) on March 11, 1977 as a complex of Center for Cultural Development of Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY). The art and cultural complex was inaugurated by Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono IX who was the vice president of Indonesia then.

It was named Purna Budaya before it became Taman Budaya Yogyakarta. It served as a media to build, maintain, and develop the culture of DIY and its surroundings. Purna Budaya was built in two concepts, namely Pundi Wurya and Langembara. Being Pundi Wurya, Purna Budaya is intended to be an art center, equipped with such facilities as stage, dance studio, library, discussion and administration rooms. Being Langembara it is aimed as a room for exhibition and workshop, canteen and inn.

In 1978, Purna Budaya was developed into a technical unit for culture under the Directorate General for Culture based on the decree of the Minister of Education and Culture of Indonesia No. 0276/O/1978. In 1991, there was a reformation in the organization and work procedure of Purna Budaya based on the decree of the Minister of Education and Culture of Indonesia No. 0221/O/1991. Later in 1995, Prof. Dr. Soekanto H. Reksohadiprodjo, M.Com, the Dean of UGM (1994-1998), in his decree No. UGM/422/PL/06/IV to the Minister of Education and Culture of Indonesia, requested Purna Budaya building in Bulaksumur complex to be utilized as UGM student center.
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Mar 17, 2010

Beringharjo Traditional Market

Visiting Beringharjo Market at Malioboro is an awesome experience. As the biggest traditional market, Beringharjo grew alongside the history of the City of Culture, Yogyakarta. The market is a concrete building and the oldest market with historical and philosophical values which cannot be separated from Yogyakarta Palace. Looking at its history, Beringharjo Market has gone through three phases, the kingdom, the colonization and the independence era. Thus, Beringharjo Market is always memorized for its value of collective memory in the heart of Yogyakarta people.

The establishment of this market is a part of the city planning design of Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat Sultanate which is usually called Catur Tunggal which covers four aspects namely the palace as the administrative center, the palace yard as the public space, the mosque as the prayer house and the market as the center of economic transaction. In term of setting, Beringharjo Market is located outside of Yogyakarta Palace (njobo keraton), at the north of the North Yard.

The area on which Beringharjo market stands was formerly a wood of banyan tree. Soon after the establishment of Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat Sultanate in 1758 AD, Yogyakarta people altered the area into a place for economic transaction. Hundreds of years later, Yogyakarta Palace realized the importance of establishing a more representative market. Therefore, on March 24, 1925, Nederlancsh Indisch Beton Maatschappij (the Indies Concrete Company) was delegated to build stalls. In August 1925, 11 stalls were finished and gradually, some more other came afterward.
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Mar 15, 2010

Vredeburg Fort

Taking a tour to Yogyakarta is incomplete without visiting Malioboro. However, do not get satisfied yet. If you have more time, take a walk to the southward of Malioboro street, to the zero point. This spot at the Grand Post Office (Kantor Pos Besar) intersection is the heart of Yogyakarta. There are several historical buildings here. They play an important role in the long history of Yogyakarta, even Indonesia. One of these buildings is the Vredeburg Fort.

Vredeburg Fort was once an unpretentious square fort built by Sri Sultan Hamengku Bowono I in 1760 upon the Colonial request, Nicolas Harting. This plain fort has 4 bastions, each corner is named Jayawisesa (northwest corner), Jayapurusa (northeast corner), Jayaprakosaning (southwest corner) dan Jayapranit (southeast corner).

When Nicolas was superseded by W.H Ossenberch in 1762, the Dutch persuaded the Sultan to construct the fort into permanent. The request was granted. The construction began in 1767 under the supervision of a Dutch constructor, Ir. Frans Haak. The construction finished in 1787. Then, it was named Rustenberg Fort, meaning “Fort for Resting”.
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Feb 27, 2010

Nyanyi Panjang Orang Petalangan: The Identity Upon Hutan Tanah Wilayat in Oral Literature

Petalangan people is another “indigenous” ethnic group of Riau Province who settle in Langgam Subdistrict, Pengkalan Kuras, Bunut and Kuala Lumpur, Pelalawan Regency (Tenas Effendy et.al., nd.:107). They are called “indigenous” because, according to Tenas Effendy, they belong to Proto-Malay race (Old Malay) who became the first inhabitant of the area now called Riau Province. Given this, Petalangan people are refered as “Orang Asal” or “Orang Asli” (indigenous) (Effendy et.al., nd.:107).

The addressing of Petalangan is thought to be caused by the action of the people fencing their village and took water by means of buluh “talang” (buluh = bamboo, talang = gutter). Thus, the people were then refered as “Orang Talang” (Talang people), or generally called “Orang Petalangan” ethnic group (Effendy et.al., nd.:107).

Petalangan people settle in Hutan Tanah Wilayat through generations. They hand down their cultural tradition through generations as well. Here lies the importance of preserving the culture (tradition) of orang Petalangan and Tanah Hutan Wilayat. One of the effort is by spreading them through oral tradition.
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Feb 19, 2010

Nyangahatn : The Rite of Welcoming Planting and Harvesting Season of Dayak Kanayatn

The majority of Dayak Kanayatn ethnic group settles in two regions in West Kalimantan namely Karimawakng (the origin of Mempawah) and Bangkule Rajakng (the origin of Pahauman). The agrarian life of Dayak Kanayatn people manifests in several unique traditional rituals which are interesting to investigate (Yekti Maunati, 2006). One of them is the rite of welcoming the planting and harvesting season called Nyangahatn.

The origin of Nyangahatn rite is the belief of Dayak Kanayatn people toward their God called Jubata. They believe that Jubata has cherished them an abundant blessing to their farming. Therefore, as an expression of thankfulness and gratitude to Jubata, Dayak Kanayatn people hold the so called Nyangahatn rite (Herman Ivo, 2002).

Nyangahatn is also inspired by the faithfullness of Dayak Kanayatn people to the custom handed down by their ancestors. For Dayak Kanayatn people, the custom is a rule that must be obeyed through generations, as it is explicitly written in their proverb:
“Adat nang dinunak, dinali, dinamputn” (custom existed since the existence of mankind, therefore it is followed and obeyed through generations)
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Feb 17, 2010

Besale: The Curing Ritual of Orang Rimba

Besale is the term used by Orang Rimba which in general means arousing human spirit or soul to be delivered from evil spirit. There has been no specific literature studying this traditional ritual of Orang Rimba. Yet, there are some books discussing about Orang Rimba and talk a bit about this theme. Thus, they will become the reference for this article.

The origin of Besale ritual is based on Orang Rimba’s belief to the god who rules the forest. According to the research result of Pusat Penelitian Sejarah dan Budaya, Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan Indonesia (Center for Historical and Cultural Studies of Department of Education and Culture of Indonesia) (1977: 127), Orang Rimba believe that if a family member or a relative get sick, this means that god has sent calamities. Therefore, to ask god to cure the illness, they hold Besale ritual.

Specifically, the ritual is performed to deliver the sick from evil spirit which is believed to be the cause of the illness and to purify the soul of the sick. In general, Besale aims to maintain the balance between human life and supernatural world, which, according to Orang Rimba, must be well kept. Otherwise, the imbalance will then give bad influence to their life in broad sense, such as the spread of incureable diseases (Eddy Ramlan, 1997).
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Feb 12, 2010

Barong Temple

If you are interested on visiting a temple for your holiday, we suggest you enjoy some beautiful temples other than Prambanan or Borobudur. Visit Barong Temple, a unique temple situated at the southern part of Prambanan Temple, at the hills of Desa Bokoharjo, Kecamatan Prambanan, Kabupaten Sleman.

Unlike other Hindu temples which serve as the place for Shiva (The Destroyer) worshiping, Barong Temple serves a place for worshiping Vishnu and His wife, Dewi Laksmi also known as Dewi Sri (the goddess of agricultural prosperity). Worshiping Vishnu and Dewi Sri, according to Dra. Andi Riana (Head of Barong Temple Unit) was probably caused by the infertile and infertile soil around the temple. Thus, by worshiping Vishnu and Dewi Sri people hope that the soil will turn into fertile.

The temple complex was found by the Dutch at around 1913, when there was a tea plantation expansion to support the sugar factory production. At that time, the temple was still ruins and it was difficult to figure out its authentic shape. In 1970s a restoration project began. The process of buliding up the temple in 1978 managed to restore the first temple building in 1994. In the following years, there were restorations on the second temple, the fence, and the talut (slanting edge of the temple complex).
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Feb 11, 2010

Ijo Temple

Ijo Temple is a name of a temple complex at Bukit Ijo. The name derived from the location of the temple which people call ‘Gumuk Ijo’ (gumuk = hill). Bukit Ijo is the highest hills at Kecamatan Prambanan, Kabupaten Sleman, with its highest peak of 410 meters above the sea level. Ijo Temple itself is at 357,402 m – 395, 481 m above the sea level. This is the highest location among other temples in Yogyakarta. No wonder archeological tourism lovers refer Ijo Temple as ‘the highest temple’ in Yogyakarta.

Ijo complex is on the same hill with other temples such as Ratu Boko, Barong, and Banyunibo Temples. They are located on the limehills of Kecamatan Prambanan. It is estimated that Ijo Temple was built at around 9th century AD. Southwards the temple, tourists can see steep trass-layer valley, yet gorgeous. The soil is indeed infertile, however, bushes and shrub cover the area in rainy season. If tourists turn their view westwards, they can see Adisutjipto International Airport.

Ijo complex consists of 17 building structures and are divided into 11 terraces. The first to the eleventh are story terraces streching west to east. The terrace structure is an acculturation of both Hindu and local culture which is depicted in the structure of temple’s megalithic place of service called punden berundak.
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Feb 10, 2010

Merapi Volcano Museum

Indonesia lies on the junction of the earth plate. Consequently, Indonesia becomes a seismic zone. Moreover, Indonesia is included in the ring of fire of 500 volcanoes among which 129 are active. The number covers 13 percent of total active volcanoes in the world. It reaffirms that Indonesia is located in a disaster-potential area. Therefore, there must be some mitigation effort to press the number of victims when disaster occurs.

Merapi Volcano Museum is a new tourist site at the southern slope of Merapi built to give solution to the above problem. This tourist object was designed as an ongoing conservation and education site as well as developing knowledge on volcanic disaster, earthquake, and other disasters. It was inaugurated on October 1, 2009 by the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Purnomo Yusgiantoro.

The slogan of the museum is “Merapi Jendela Bumi” (Merapi the Window of the World). It is 4.470 square meters and occupies as wide as 3,4 acres of land and it is a two-story building. The first floor contains museum collections which are divided into several rooms with different themes. There are the Volcano World, On The Merapi Volcano Trail, Manusia dan Gunung Api (mankind and volcano), Bencana Gempa Bumi dan Tsunami (earthquake and tsunami), Bencana Gerakan Tanah (landslide), Diorama, Peralatan Survey (survey equipment), Extra-terestrial Volcano, and other supporting facilities. The second floor functions as a theater showing movies about volcano. Currently it is still under construction.
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Rock Climbing at Siung Beach

Speaking of coastal tourism in Yogyakarta, we will surely include Parangtritis and Baron Beach among the most popular ones. However, for rock climbing maniacs, there is a must-visit beach situated at the south coast of Gunung Kidul called Siung Beach.

Siung Beach is on the same coastal line with Baron and Sundak Beach. It has magnificent view and landscape. Not to mention it has a distinctive attraction for climbers: the protuberant cliffs. The cliffs are most wanted by climbers who are getting bored with wall climbing. They attempt to conquer the real cliffs.

Before being recognized as a rock climbing arena by people, Siung Beach was previously a dirty, isolated and desolate beach. However, since it was known as climbing one, people started to tidy up and beautify the beach. Although rock climbers recognize Siung Beach as the most beautiful and challenging site, there has been no data stating when the slopes was first climbed. More ... >>

Feb 8, 2010

Malioboro

In Yogyakarta, the city of memories as people name it, there is a legendary shopping area called Malioboro. The name is adopted from a British colonial who occupied Yogyakarta in 1811-1816 named Marlborough.
Malioboro was deliberately built at the heart of Yogyakarta by the Indies government at early 19th century as the center of economic and administrative activities. Symbolically, the area also aimed to compete with the domination of Sultan Mataram with his luxurious palace.

For that purpose, the Indies government then built: Vredeburg Fort (1765, now serves as a museum and public tourism arena), Colonial Residency Palace (now the President’s residence, Gedung Agung, in 1832), Beringharjo Market, Garuda Hotel (a place for colonial elites to stay overnight and assemble) and Malioboro shopping (economy) area itself. The buildings are in front (northern part) of Alun-Alun (the Palace square These historical buildings of the colonial remains in Malioboro are the silent witnesses of the journey of the so called city of students. In the future, this area is planned to be a pedestrian area in order to reduce the city’s traffic jam and air polution. More ... >>