Masterpiece Hindu temples built during the 10th century CE - Prambanan Temple Compounds 642; The Cosmological Axis of Yogyakarta and its Historic Landmarks 1671; Indonesia kris 00112; Indonesian batik 00170; Gamelan 01607
What and Why
Prambanan (Indonesian: Rara Jonggrang) is a complex of tall Hindu temples (candi) dedicated to Trimūrti (Sanskrit: त्रिमूर्ति), the triple personified supreme diety of Hinduism: Brahmā (Sanskrit: ब्रह्मा) the creator, Vishnu (Sanskrit: विष्णु, Viṣṇu) the preserver, and Shiva (Sanskrit: शिव, Śiva) the destroyer. The complex, built in mid-9th century CE during the Medang Kingdom (Medang), is one of the largest temple clusters in Asia and contains originally more than 240 temple structures. The elaborate facade of these standing temples exhibit great skills and details and these temples are widely considered a Hindu masterpiece of architecture.
The city Yogyakarta also presents itself as an embodiment of Javanese philosophy and connexion to the Universe. The city is designed in such a way that its main axis aligns with the north-south axis: from the north points all the way to the Mount Merapi (Gunung Merapi), passes the centre in Kraton, and the south goes to the Indian Ocean. All these are aligned properly along the straight line from Jalan Margo Utomo to Jalan Malioboro to Jalan D.I. Panjaitan. This line symbolises the journey of life from birth or creation (the volcano) to life at its full harmonious glory (the palace) and to death or destruction (the sea).
Toponymy
Yogyakarta, meaning ‘an accomplished citadel’ derives from the Sanskrit word ‘अयोध्या (ayodhyā)’, meaning ‘unconquerable citadel’, and ‘कृत (kṛta)’, meaning ‘accomplished’.
There is very little agreement about the actual meaning of Prambanan. The more accepted, is that it derives from ‘pa-ramban-an’ in Old Indonesian Malay meaning ‘collecting herbs’, denoting the forest it is located in. Another theory points to ‘parambrahman’, meaning ‘world spirit’ in Old Indonesian Malay. Both etymologies seem rather weak.
Its local Indonesian name is Loro Jonggrang, meaning ‘slender maiden’ and refers to the statue of Durgā (Sanskrit: दुर्गा) inside the temple.
See
Prambanan
The original layout of the complex follows a squarish maṇḍala (Sanskrit: मण्डल), with the main temple devoted to Shiva, accompanied at the side by Brahma's and Vishnu's. All the six main temples have been reconstructed somehow.
The layout plan.
The main temple measures 47 m tall and 34 m wide, with the base sculptured with bas-relief, narrating the epic stories of Rāmāyana (Sanskrit: रामायणम्) in clockwise direction.
Inside the main chamber stands a 3-m tall Shiva statue on a yoni (Sanskrit: योनि), while the other two chambers in the respective cardinal directions contain three different types of deities: Durgā, the most worshipped Ganesha (Sanskrit: गणेश, Gaṇeśa) and the revered sage Agastya (Sanskrit: अगस्त्य).
The other three shrines behind the Trimūrti are known as the vahana shrines, meaning vehicle. These are the vehicles for the respective diety in front of each of them: the bull Nandi (Sanskrit: नन्दि) for Shiva, the swan Haṃsa (Sanskrit: हंस) for Brahma, and Garuḍa (Sanskrit: गरुड) for Vishnu.
Almost all the smaller temples, known as perwara, meaning guardian, around were destroyed or left in ruins due to a powerful earthquake in the 16th century CE, with a few of them reconstructed. These guardian temples were believed to stand in four rows to represent the four main castes in Hindu culture. The ruins are preserved fairly carefully with all the blocks laid near the original perwara temples.
Kraton
Kraton is the royal palace complex for the Sultanate of Yogyakarta (Kesultanan Yogyakarta). While it is the official residence of the sultan (Arabic: سلطان, sulṭān), it is presently largely a tourist spot housing a museum of Javanese artefacts, with regular performances of gamelan (blogged in Magelang) music performances. It is clearly planned to serve as the centre of the cosmological axis which symbolises the importance of the sultans as part of the Javanese philosophy.
Kraton means palace in Indonesian and in various parts there are elaborate ornaments. The centre of Kraton is considered the most sacred, and is the the touching point between the heavenly and material worlds. The residence of the Sultan is in this centre section along with the most significant structures where sacred rituals, and dances are performed and where the eternal flame is kept.
The complex was built and designed in the mid-18th century CE for Hamengkubuwono I (né Sujana), the first Sultan of Yogyakarta who created the Sultanate under the Dutch East India Company (Dutch: Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie). The complex, located near a prominent banyan tree, was Hamengkubuwono original own design and was properly recognised.
The wooden buildings of the complex have a traditional Javanese architectural style, decorated with various foreign or colonial influences (Portuguese, Dutch, and Chinese). Around the area, there is a local cultural gathering of some sort and each participant carry the iconic dagger, the kris.
The kris is an asymmetrically-shaped and wavy dagger that has become the cultural icon of Indonesia. Originated from Java, the kris is usually meticulously carved and decorated, and most of the individual kris would claim a story of legendary and supernatural power. Due to its revered status, the kris has become the cultural icon and symbol of Indonesia.
Clearly no one would use this as a proper weapon nowadays, but rather a symbol of status and history. Kris are generally used for display, as talisman with magical powers, an accessory for ceremonial dress, or an indicator of social and heroic status. The word 'kris' is derived from the Old Javanese term 'ngiris (Javanese: ꦔꦶꦫꦶꦱ꧀)' meaning 'slice'.
The kris is seen as symbol of heroism, power and authority, while with its meticulous design it also represents finesse and art. On the other hand, It is after all a dagger and is usually associated with bloodshed, and hence it contradicts with Javanese advocacy of peace and harmony. This is why the kris is usually worn on their back in Indonesia, to symbolise its discreet use only as a last resort, although it may be worn at the side of the hip in Malay culture.
While the Kraton is supposed to be religious, there is something very unreligious lurking behind...
The most popular spots inside Kraton is the Taman Sari, or literally the flowery garden, famous or infamous for being the complex where the concubines bathed in the pool to attract the sultan. The pleasure garden was built by the first sultan in 1765 CE. One of the bathing pools was dedicated to the sultan's harem, and he had a tower overlooking the area so he could make his pick.
From the end of Taman Sari, one can access to a semi-secluded area called Kampung Taman known for their batik and traditional crafts.
The kris maybe the official icon of Indonesia, but the more recognised Indonesian symbol is definitely the batik. Batik is officially not the dress, but rather a technique of is a technique of wax-resist dyeing applied to the whole cloth. Usually dots and lines form the main motifs but nowadays more complicated or free-form graphics are often seen. In fact the word batik derives from the Indonesian word ambatik meaning roughly making a big dot.
Batik is an ancient artform originated from Java and the fabric is used extensively by Indonesian: from casual to ceremonial dress, male and female. There is even a National Batik Day (Hari Batik Nasional), 2nd October, in Indonesia, the day when this art is inscribed as an ICH.
The most famous brand of all combines the two words of ICHs together, Batik Kris. This also happens to be one of the first foreign ICHs that I have real contact.
In many areas around the Kraton one will recognise a deity-like face which often sticks out his tongue. It is called Kālá (Sanskrit: काल). One of them is prominently featured in Kraton's entrance, but they are all over the place, especially on the roof facades and reliefs.
Kālá is the personified form of time and represents death. This is somehow transformed into Batara Kala in Javanese culture as the god of destruction. Apparently it is a mighty giant, born of the sperm of Shiva.
Alun-alun Lor
Alun-alun lor, meaning 'square' in Indonesian, is an unassuming lawn that forms the formal entrance to Kraton. The place is so uninteresting that there is no website information about it. Having said that there is a lot of symbolism associated with this piece of lawn. The square was the site of major events, especially the common tiger-bull fight-spectacle during the 18th century CE. In fact the tiger was symbolised as the foreign invader and the bull was portrayed as the Indonesian and often the bull would win with some occasional short-cuts.
The symbolism does not end there with the fight. There are two big fig trees, fenced around properly in the middle of the lawn. These are the two sacred trees, the trees representing the sky and the fence as the earth with four quarters. The trees also symbolise chaos while the regular fence, order.
Kalasan
Along the way to Prambanan from Yogyakarta, one will pass by a massive Buddhist temple, built in Javanese architecture, called Kalasan, which is named after the district it is located in. Built in the 8th century CE, the temple is a bit derelict in nature.
Sambisari
Recently discovered and evacuated in the 1960s CE, Sambisari is 9th-century CE Hindu temple laying under a 5-m pit. It is believed that the temple was buried due to a volcano eruption by the nearby Mount Merapi. This explains why the temple is in a pit and the archaeological survey was only completed in 1987 CE.
Sambisari was a Shivaite Hindu temple built around the first or second decade of the 9th century CE, confirmed by the presence of a lingam-yoni inside the main hall.
Jalan Malioboro
Jalan Malioboro is the tourist heart of Yogyakarta, and is lined with shops, hotels and restaurants. In fact it is considered the northern side of the axis connecting the Kraton with Mount Merapi. Historically, the street functioned as the royal road (margaraja). The road was used for ceremonial events, including the reception of guests who usually arrived from the north, as the main road to other towns was in the north. The section of the road directly north of the Alun-Alun Lor was called Pangurakan. The term pangurakan in Javanese means ‘to chase away’ referring it as the guardian’s post for the northern entrance to the Kraton. When approached from the north, this section of the road also has meaning in the Javanese after-life cycle, with the gate near the Kraton the place where one should leave behind all material things including their own body (namely death) to proceed to Heaven (the Kraton) and reunite with the origin (namely deity) at the sea.
Yogyakarta apparently has the largest student population in Indonesia and during the evening, all these students congregate along this main trunk road and sit on the floor and mingle: sometimes academic talks but more often eat and music. This is the so-called Malioboro culture and is sort of iconic to the city. This goes on until as late as 4 am in the morning.
The word Malioboro derives from Javanese 'maliyo' meaning ‘a change to become a wali’ and 'ngumbara' meaning ‘journey’. Wali is the prominent Javanese Islamic leaders and hence in this context, Malioboro means that 'to walk the virtuous journey to become a wali'.
Yogyakarta Monument (Tugu Yogyakarta)
While the Yogyakarta Monument (Tugu Yogyakarta) is now no more than a roundabout centrepiece, it serves as a marker of the northern point of the cosmological axis that points to Mount Merapi. This monument is also the focal point of the Sultan during his meditation to unite with the deities. It was built in mid-18th century CE.
Panggung Krapyak
The Panggung Krapyak is a cubic building that serves to mark the southern end of the axis. It used to serve as the sentinel for hunting and gaming and also a theatre from the sultan.
In the cosmological plan of the city, the journey from the Panggung Krapyak through the southern axis to Kraton was conceptualised as the human journey from birth to adulthood. Along this road, tamarind and tanjung (mimusops elengi) trees have traditionally been planted as symbols of youth. Conversely, the journey from the Kraton along the southern axis was (and still is) the usual route of the royal funeral procession.
Buy and Do
Lots of good handicrafts and furnitures to buy along Jalan Malioboro. Many of these designs are genuinely world-class and they are sold at an incredible price. There are some lowly bazaars around, but watch out for pickpockets along the road.
The other thing I truly recommend doing is to watch the cultural performance show of Yogyakarta, there are a few of them and one of them is right in front of the Prambanan, using the temples as a backdrop! The show is choreographed with the usual gamelan and is about Rāmāyana, and is accompanied by an Indonesian-style buffet. Definitely worth it.
Eat and Drink
Bakso
The Indonesian version of beef-ball is bakso. The name originated from the Hokkien pronounciation of the Chinese word 肉酥 (bah-so), meaning fluffy meat and one can immediately recognise the resemblance to Chinese meatball. It is usually served with soup noodle and is very similar to the Chinese counterpart, and while it is called fluffy meat, the meatball is quite tangy and bouncy. As most Indonesians are Muslims, generally bakso is made from beef, chicken or the mixture of beef with chicken. We had our serving in this chain stall called Bakso Tengkleng.
Stay
Yogyakarta is a very affordable place to stay in, and one can get a reasonably posh hotel at very good price. We stayed in the Prime Plaza Hotel, near Jalan Malioboro and the picture above tells you all, no complaint!
Getting There and Around
Getting around in Yogyakarta can be quite troublesome. While Jalan Malioboro and Kraton are reasonably close to each other, the traffic there is so forbidding that no one would like to walk around the streets. The Bollywood-like traffic advises me to charter a private car, and it is very cheap anyway, to ferry one around the city. After all Prambanan is a bit off the main city and other temples are quite far apart from each other.
The entrance fee to Prambanan is a hefty IDR 300,000 Rp, while the Kraton is 12,500 Rp.
UNESCO Inscriptions
Built in the 10th century, this is the largest temple compound dedicated to Shiva in Indonesia. Rising above the centre of the last of these concentric squares are three temples decorated with reliefs illustrating the epic of the Ramayana, dedicated to the three great Hindu divinities (Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma) and three temples dedicated to the animals who serve them.
The kris or keris is a distinctive, asymmetrical dagger from Indonesia. Both weapon and spiritual object, the kris is considered to possess magical powers. The earliest known kris go back to the tenth century and most probably spread from the island of Java throughout South-East Asia.
The central axis of Yogyakarta was established in the 18th century by Sultan Mangkubumi, and has continued from that time as a centre of government and Javanese cultural traditions. The six kilometre north-south axis is positioned to link Mount Merapi and the Indian Ocean, with the Kraton (palace) at its centre, and key cultural monuments lining the axis to the north and south that are connected through rituals. It embodies key beliefs about the cosmos in Javanese culture, including the marking of the cycles of life.
Kris blades are usually narrow with a wide, asymmetrical base. The sheath is often made from wood, though examples from ivory, even gold, abound. A kris’ aesthetic value covers the dhapur (the form and design of the blade, with some 40 variants), the pamor (the pattern of metal alloy decoration on the blade, with approximately 120 variants), and tangguh referring to the age and origin of a kris. A bladesmith, or empu, makes the blade in layers of different iron ores and meteorite nickel. In high quality kris blades, the metal is folded dozens or hundreds of times and handled with the utmost precision. Empus are highly respected craftsmen with additional knowledge in literature, history and occult sciences.
Kris were worn everyday and at special ceremonies, and heirloom blades are handed down through successive generations. Both men and women wear them. A rich spirituality and mythology developed around this dagger. Kris are used for display, as talismans with magical powers, weapons, sanctified heirlooms, auxiliary equipment for court soldiers, accessories for ceremonial dress, an indicator of social status, a symbol of heroism, etc.
Over the past three decades, kris have lost some of their prominent social and spiritual meaning in society. Although active and honoured empus who produce high-quality kris in the traditional way can still be found on many islands, their number is dramatically decreasing, and it is more difficult for them to find people to whom they can transmit their skills.
The techniques, symbolism and culture surrounding hand-dyed cotton and silk garments known as Indonesian Batik permeate the lives of Indonesians from beginning to end: infants are carried in batik slings decorated with symbols designed to bring the child luck, and the dead are shrouded in funerary batik. Clothes with everyday designs are worn regularly in business and academic settings, while special varieties are incorporated into celebrations of marriage and pregnancy and into puppet theatre and other art forms. The garments even play the central role in certain rituals, such as the ceremonial casting of royal batik into a volcano. Batik is dyed by proud craftspeople who draw designs on fabric using dots and lines of hot wax, which resists vegetable and other dyes and therefore allows the artisan to colour selectively by soaking the cloth in one colour, removing the wax with boiling water and repeating if multiple colours are desired. The wide diversity of patterns reflects a variety of influences, ranging from Arabic calligraphy, European bouquets and Chinese phoenixes to Japanese cherry blossoms and Indian or Persian peacocks. Often handed down within families for generations, the craft of batik is intertwined with the cultural identity of the Indonesian people and, through the symbolic meanings of its colours and designs, expresses their creativity and spirituality.
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