Gunungan kakung

Perebutan Gunungan Kakung

Gunungan Kakung

Susunan Gunungan Kakung

Gunungan kakung berbentuk seperti kerucut terpancung dengan ujung sebelah atas agak membulat. Sebagian besar gunungan ini terdiri dari sayuran kacang panjang yang berwarna hijau yang dirangkaikan dengan cabai merah, telur itik, dan beberapa perlengkapan makanan kering lainnya. 

Garebeg

Upacara Garebeg diselenggarakan tiga kali dalam satu tahun kalender/penanggalan Jawa yaitu pada tanggal dua belas bulan Mulud (bulan ke-3), tanggal satu bulan Sawal (bulan ke-10) dan tanggal sepuluh bulan Besar (bulan ke-12). Pada hari-hari tersebut Sultan berkenan mengeluarkan sedekahnya kepada rakyat sebagai perwujudan rasa syukur kepada Tuhan atas kemakmuran kerajaan. Sedekah ini, yang disebut dengan Hajad Dalem, berupa pareden/gunungan yang terdiri dari Pareden Kakung, Pareden Estri, Pareden Pawohan, Pareden Gepak, dan Pareden Dharat, sertaPareden Kutug/Bromo yang hanya dikeluarkan 8 tahun sekali pada saat Garebeg Mulud tahun Dal.

Tumplak Wajik

Upacara  Tumplak Wajik

Upacara tumplak wajik adalah upacara pembuatan Wajik (makanan khas yang terbuat dari beras ketan dengan gula kelapa) untuk mengawali pembuatan pareden yang digunakan dalam upacara Garebeg. Upacara ini hanya dilakukan untuk membuat pareden estri pada Garebeg Mulud dan Garebeg Besar. Dalam upacara yang dihadiri oleh pembesar Keraton ini di lengkapi dengan sesajian. Selain itu upacara yang diselenggarakan dua hari sebelum garebeg juga diiringi dengan musik ansambel lesung-alu (alat penumbuk padi), kenthongan, dan alat musik kayu lainnya. Setelah upacara selesai dilanjutkan dengan pembuatan pareden.

Upacara Adat Masyarakat Jogja Dan Budayanya

Upacara Adat Yogyakarta

Selain memiliki kemegahan bangunan Keraton Yogyakarta juga memiliki suatu warisan budaya yang tak ternilai. Diantarannya adalah upacara-upacara adat, tari-tarian sakral, musik, dan pusaka (heirloom). Upacara adat yang terkenal adalah upacara Tumplak Wajik, Garebeg, upacara Sekaten dan upacara Siraman Pusaka dan Labuhan. Upacara yang berasal dari zaman kerajaan ini hingga sekarang terus dilaksanakan dan merupakan warisan budaya Indonesia yang harus dilindungi dari klaim pihak asing.

Yogyakarta, Yogya or Jogja

Yogyakarta Province

Formally, the name of district is Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta Province. Daerah Istimewa means special district refers to special status of province. The reasn is explained partly by its long history of Yogyakarta during the colonial rule of Dutch regime, and then important role of Yogyakarta played during the struggle for nation independence. This special ststus has been constitutionally recognized by the Republic Government eversince..

The yogyakarta itself derived from the name of the great Javanese Kingdom ‘Ngayogyokarta hadiningrat’ that was found in 1755 ( see : Kasultanan Jogja). The “Yogyakarta” or “ yogya” for short, is usually pronounced ‘jogja’. Because of its easier to be pronounced, both be Indonesians and foreigner, the word jogja is used by local goverment for the slogan “ Jogja never Ending Asia”.The slogan was designed in order making a certain position of jogja amongs the important country of Asia, such as Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.

Geographical Condition of Jogja

Jogja lies at the fertile ccrscent of rice lands in the middle of Java island. It is bordered to the northby the still active volcano, Mount Merapi and to the south by Indian ocean. In the south part of the land, stands Sewu (thousand) mountain range. The mountain range is extend along Java island and becomes of Java pre-historic life.

Lying in the middle of island, Jogja become equidistant from Indonesia’s two major gateways –Jakrta and Bali. Covering 3.186 square kilometers, Jogja is not very large size. The population – belongs to 2000 cencus- is more than 3.1 million, while the population of the Jogja city is 397.398 or the density of almost 15.197 peoples/sq kilometers.

On the entire region, almost 50% of the land is used for agricultural purposes, leaving approximately 25% for residential area, and the remaining 17% for chead and forest.

Jogja has a warm tropical climate with wet and dry season. Wet season lasts from October to march and the heaviest rains accur in December and January. The temperature throughout the year averages of about 75% Java, Jogja receive the dry season. Freezing at night.

Hindu’s and Buddist’s Relics

Hindu relief

Budha Relief

Hinduism and Buddhism lived side by side Java since a long ago. The conflict between  them as noted in India was not played out in Java. It is common that around the Buddha’s monument of Borobudur, lies 42 km nort-west of Jogja, stayed many Hindu’s temples. Coversely, many Buddhist temples was build around Hindu’s Prambanan complex, 17 km east Jogja. The interreligion relationship come closer when the two great dynasties, Buddhist Syailendra and Hindus Sanjaya were united by marriage of Rakai Pikatan of Hindu Mataramand the Buddhist Syailendra princess Pramodhavardhani by the second half of the 9th caentury.

Borobudur and the sorrounding

borobudur temple

Built in between 750 and 850 AD by the Buddhist Syailendra dynasty, Borobudur becomes one of the greatest Buddhist relics in South East Asia. The two other are Cambodia’s Angkor Wat and Myanmar’s Bagan. Borobudur was lay forgotten for centuries, burried under layers of volcanic ash, until when it was foundin 1815 when Raffles governed Java. Some restorations project since the early of 20th century to the 1983 have made the Borobudur stands gloriously today.

To the east of Borobudur, there are two other temples being part of the complex, Pawon and Mendut.Pawon temples was dedicated to Kuvera, the Buddhist god of fortune. While in Mendhut temple, the Buddha sits in western-style with both feet on the ground, instead of in usual lotus sits position. Next to the temple is the Buddhist monastery. It’s  less then 10 minutswalk to these temples from Borobudur.

Lies in 42 km to the nort-west of Jogja, Borobudur, Pawon and Mendut can be reach of about 1.5 hours –Rp.5.000 paid –by direct buses from Umbulharjo Jogja’s main bus terminal and also from the smaller bus terminal, Jombor, in Magelang street. The temple is less than 15 minut’s walk from the Borobudur bus terminal. For another option, travel agents at the Prawirotaman Or Sosrowijayan arrange tours of Borobudur. The temple site is open daily from 6 am to 5 pm.

At the east surrounding of Borobudur, there also many ruins of temples that have not been restore. Hindu’s temples are Gunung Sari, Gunung Wukir and the Sengi complex. Some others of buddhist temples : Ngawen, asu, Pendem and Lumbung.

Temples in Kecamatan Prambanan

Prambanan is located in the western part of the sub-district of Jogja. It is about 17 km from Jogja and passed by main road Jogja-Solo. It was the important area in Java during the Hinduism era, since it was a holy place or mandala where the temples were built. Those temples are lying along the south side of Prambanan Hill up to the compound of Kalasan tmple in the north. Some temples were built by the collaboration of the Hindus and the Buddhists. This showed how the acentors valued tolerance in religions.

Complex of Plaosan Temple

Located around 2 km to  the norteast of Prambanan Temple,Plaosan has both Hindu and Buddha architectures.This cascadedtemple is unique, since its construction cannot be found in other temples in Java.The experts consideredthat Plaosan was built in the same era with the Prambann temple, around 9 C.E, by King Rakai Pikatan of Hindu Dynasty , and his wife, Queen Pramodhawardhani of Buddhist Dynasty, who was also called as Sri Kaluhunan. This compound consists of Plaosan Lor group at the north, and Plaosan Kidul at the south. Plaosan Kidul is  smaller than Plaosan Lor. This temple is quite near to Prambanan temple. It can be reached by few minuts walk along the roadside of the east side of Prambanan temple to the north.

Palace Of King Boko

This palace is located in the hill at south side of Prambanan Temple. We can view Prambanan Temple and Mount Merapi from this place. The compound was built in age of 9 C.E , and the experts considered this place as capital of Mataram Hindu Kingdom. No building remains. However, when we seee the gate-which had been renovated, the square and Foundation of the front hall ( Pendopo ), and the pool where the ladies at that time swam and bathed, we can imagine how big this compound was.

Around this place, we can find alots of relics, which show the glory of Hinduism era that are really axciting to see. They are Temples, such as Banyunibo, Barong, Ijo, and Abang Temple ; statues, meditation cave, batu umpak, and pool. From there we can try to visualize the situation 1,500 years ago. If we need to have better information , we can get it from Kantor Suaka Peninggalan Sejarah Purbakala, located near plaosan temple. 

KOTA GEDE,The Beginning Of Mataram Islam (1575-1640)

Kota Gede is sometimes called as The old Capital City, as it was the first capital of Mataram Islam Kingdom. Before, it was merely a forest-called Alas Mentaok, which was granted by Sultan Panjang, King of Hindu Kingdom in East Java to Panembahan Senopati, since Senopati had done a favour by protecting Panjang. In 1575, Panembahan Senopati, who became the first King of Mataram Islam, builts this area and established it as the capital city.

Kota Gede was being a capital city until 1640, after that time the third of King Mataram Islam, Sultan Agung moved the capital to desa (village) Kerto, Plered-Bantul. It is about 6 km from Kota Gede to the west. It was told that the reason of this moving to get more power and glory mystically. Only few relics and important buildings of early Mataram Islam remain in this old city now. They are cemetry of Prince Senopati’s clan, piece of wall and foundationof one of Pendopo (the front room of the palace), and Sendang Selirang-a  pool where the royal family bathed. Those three relics are located in one compound, together with Mosque

Of Kota Gde palace (masjid Kraton Kota Gede). It is about 200m from Kota Gede traditional market to the south.

The cemetery is open for public every Monday and Thursday from 10.00 to 12.00 and Friday at 13.00-15.00. The visitors will have to wear the Javanese traditional clothes: batik the clothes are available for rent in the location.

Amongst the relics, we can still found other building, which strengthen the impression of the old capital city. They are some houses owned by Kalang people . they where presumed as the natives of Kota Gede and known as artists. They carved wood and gold. They were coming from Kingdom Of Majapahit Hindu area in east Java and Bali, requested by the state of Mataram Islam to fulfil its needs of arts.

After being left by Sultan Agung in 1700s, the Kalang became rich from their job. They built luxurious houses with Hidu Javanese architecture. The next period, around 1800s to 1900s there were Javanese Joglo (Javanese traditional architecture) coming up, with musholla (small mosque), and Arabic ornaments.

An impotant change hapenned during 1920s-1930s, when the Kalang being monopolized by the Dutch (the Colonial Government)to handle the private pawnshops, diamond and opium trading during tis period, the kalang builts luxurious houses with European Baroque architecture. The house of Pawiro Sentiko’s was the successful businessman in that time who owned 13 pawnshops in Jogja.

Sari Temple and Sambisari Temple

It is about 500m from Kalasan Temple to the north. This Temple has similar type to Plaosan Temple, but its outer reliefs looks almost similar to Kalasan Temple.

It is about 2.5 kmfrom Prambanan to the north, Sambisari looks like an isolated temple. This shiva temple that was built in the 1966 Sambisari is 6m under water level. This way the compound lokks like a pool. This Temple was quite wholly when it was found, and it had been renovated as well.

Kalasan Temple

This Temple located in desa( village) Kalasan around 50m from the main road Jogja-Solo. It is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Prambanan. Built in 775 C.E., this Temple was offered to Tara Boddhisatva . The experts said taht the whole buildingwas painted in bright color. We can steel some paint on the remaining building.