Archive for November 1st, 2006
* Sumber Ubalan Kalasan
This object is 18 km from city of Kediri to the east, and located at Kalasan, Jarak village, Plosoklaten sub-district. Sumber Ubalan Kalasan recreation area is a natural swimming pool which is believed as sacred place. People who live in surrounding areas of this object treat it as a Blessing Place which will bring a good life for someone, to make life longer and to make things easier for those who are looking for a spouse.
Ubalan area is a recreational place which covers the area of 12 hectares including the camping arena.
* Pohsarang Church
This old church is about 10 km from the city of Kediri to the west located at Pohsarang village Semen sub-district. This church was built by Ir. Hendricus Maclaine Pont, an artist who has been appointed as the Chief of archeology in Trowulan and it was also as initiated by Religious Leader of Nedherlands Romo Yohannes Hubertus Wolters CM to switch the function of this church as the missionary center.
* Tegowangi Temple
This temple is located at Tegowangi village, Plemahan sub-district and it is about 25 km city of Kediri to the north. According to the books of Negara Kertagama and Pararaton, Tegowangi temple were inherited by the Lord of Hayam Wuruk in the year 1400 AD, decorated by 9 Sudarmala’s carved relief.
Temple building was made of Andarsil stone with size of 1.20 m at length and 11.20 m at width and 4.25 m at height.
* Pamuksan Sri Aji Joyoboyo
This object is about 8 kilometers from the main route of Kediri-Pagu to the north, precisely at Menang village, Pagu subdistrict.
Pamuksan Sri Aji Joyoboyo, a great King in Java island which was well-known and written in Jongko Joyoboyo book.
Every Muharram the first (1 suro) the family of Hondodento Yogyakarta in cooperation with government of Kediri District always organize ritual ceremony. This event was usually commemorated by local cultural artist. Many pilgrims visit Pamuksan area and also Sendang Tira Kamandanu, 200 meter from Pamuksan area.
* Specific Foods and Drinks of Kediri
Long time ago during Indonesia -Hindu area, Kediri has been very famous and this region has played a very important role for the country as written in Indonesia national history by the existence of many Kingdom suchs as Dhaha, Panjalu, Jenggala with all it greatness.
Greatness could be seen such as in cultural heritage of: music and dance performance, puppeteer as illustrated by Empu Tan Akung in his book Wretadancata and Kakawin Samana Santaka, which expresses that in 20th century, cultural art performance of Dharma Rati Topeng, Man puppet has grown rapidly.
Referring to the above subjects Kediri District actually it has also a large variety of specific food and drink to enjoy by they who come to this region.
Typical Food and drink of Kediri are all consumed by people who come from any social status whether he is a farmer from rural area or the royal family and the royal army that time.
* Background
According to the history, typical Kediri food and drink were named from the song of Dandanggula which could be founded in Babad Kuno book.
November 1st, 2006
Around weekends, people in general spend moretime at recreation areas not too far from the city centres. But, some people choose to adventure in free nature, far away from the bustling cities. An example is ecotourism.
One of the fascinating tourist destinations 30 kilometers West of Kediri City, or to be precise at the foot of Mount Wilis, is the Negalyangan Waterfall. The waterfall that is located 1,400 meters above the sea level is included in the region of the Perum Perhutani Unit II, East Java, or in the Forest Compartment 107, RPH Kalipang, BKPH Kediri, RPH KEdiri, Parang Village, Grogol Sub-District, Kediri Regency, East Java.
The Ngelayangan Waterfall is located in the protected forest area, that is populated with specificforest floraa, like pines, mahogany, kepuh and other rare plants like nyampuh. From a height of 140 meters, the streaam of water does not immediately hit the ground, but appears like flying, or floating in midair (ngelayang is the javanese for floating). That is why this waterfall was called Ngelayangan.
According to the belief of the local people, the waterfall has the virtue to preserve people’s beauty (staying young). This belief is based on the legend of Dewi Sekartaji who bathed in this place. In her spare time Dewi Sekartaji often brewed herbal ingredients to preserve her beauty. BUt, One day, unnoticed, those herbs spilled into the source tgat was to become Ngelayangan Waterfall.
Besides the Ngelayangan Waterfall, there are in fact still six waterfalls at the foot of Mount Wilis. But, so far only Ngelayangan, and the Sedudo Waterfall in Nganjuk, have become known, being the largest. The remaining are still not widely known by the people.
Another facility that comes with the beaautiful fascination of the Ngelayangan Waterfall, are the camping grounds that are located not far from the Waterfall. To camp here the condition is to obtain permit from the KPH Kediri. Meanwhile visitors, in particular those campers, are expected to preserve and protect the environment, by not lighting fires except for cooking.
To reach the location is not difficult, only requires time between 2-4 hours. But the boredom of the journey will certainly be compensate by the cool, natural scenery crossing many tiny rivers along the way, enlivened with the varied sounds of birds.
Text and photograhps : Aditya
Source :”Natural Enchantment at the Foot of Mount Wilis”, Travel Club Magazine, No. 106, June 1997, page : 30-31.
November 1st, 2006
Following a period of instability and upheaval, much of East Java was re-united in the 11th century by King Airlangga, one of Indonesia’s most popular historical figures. Before he died, however, the king decided to split his realm between two of his sons, in order to avoid any future disputes over succession.
According to legend, the person responsible for implementing the decision was the holy sage Mpu Bharada. The official border separating the two portions of the kingdom was to be a line running north south through the middle of Mt. Kawi, north west of Malang.
The story goes that, as Mpu Bharada was crossing the mountain his robe became entangled in a small, thorny tree. In anger, the sage uttered a curse to the effect that the tree would never grow any larger and would remain a dwarf. Visitors to Mt Kawi today can still see this ‘dwarf tree’, which is located in the grounds of a sacred tomb. Surrounded by a fence, the tree bears a local fruit known as dewan daru. Pilgrims to the tomb can often be seen sitting beneath the tree, in the hope of picking up a leaf freshly blown off by the wind, which is believed to bring good fortune. Whether or not the legend is true, the tree is indeed a dwarf and residents of Mt Kawi insist that it has remained the same size for as long as anvone can remember.
Mount Kawi is another of Java’s sacred mountains, attract ing a steady stream of visitors from all over Indonesia and even further afield. The focus of attention is the tomb of two revered historical figures; Kandjeng Panembahan Djoego, a descendant from the court of Mataram and grandson of the famous rebel leader Prince Diponegoro, and Raden Mas Iman Soedjono, descending from the royal family of Yogyakarta. The dates of their respective deaths are 1871 and 1876 A.D.
Mount Kawi is especially popular among the Indonesian Chinese community and the village which has grown up around the pilgrimage site displays a unique blend of Javanese and Chinese cultures. On the one hand, traditional Javanese performances, such as wayang kulit (the shadow play) are often staged here, while at the same time there are Chinese fortune tellers and small shops selling Chinese candles, incense and various handicrafts. Auspicious times for visiting Mt Kawi are, according to the Javanese calendar, Jumat Legi and Senin Pahing (every fifth Monday and Friday)
source : www.petra.ac.id
November 1st, 2006
Malang mask dance is an inherited traditional theatncal art performance. What is interesting about the mask dance is that all the dancers representing some characters wear masks.
The characters in Malang theatrical mask dance are 64 and they play the roles of 64 figures in Panji tales. Decoratively, Malang masks are unique. They are different from any other mask art found in Java.
There are five typical colurs used to deco rate the masks. The red colour symbolizes courage, the black colour symbolizes determined ambitions, the yellow colour symbolizes wisdom, the white colour indicates purified character and the green colour indicates peace.
The main colour decorating the mask worn by a dancer tells about the character of the story figure played by the dancer. Malang theatrical mask dance is often performed in fragments the story of which are taken from Panji tales which are common traditional folklores that are also found in many parts of Indonesia such as Lombok, Bali, Sumatera and Java islands, and also in Thailand.
The main figure of the tales is Pandji Asmorobangun, and the typical, phylosophical themes of the tales are that the bad are always de feated by the truth, eventhough there are a lot of sacrifices and miseries during the struggling process.
In the story it is narrated that Panji Asmorobangun had to wander to get his spouse. In his life, it is told that there was a king who wanted to marry Dewi Ragil Kuning, the lover of Raden Gunung Sari from Jenggolo Manik.To know the real truth, one should undergo a process i.e. a war. The final result of the war will prove that the truth can always overcome, and can defeat the bad things.
To see the theatrical mask dance you have to go to Malang, which is about 90 kilometers to the south of the capital of the East Java Province, i.e. Surabaya. The center of Malang mask dance is Kedung Monggo village, Karang Pandan, Pakisaji district, Malang regency. It is about 15 kilometers to the south of Malang town.
It is easy to get there by village vehicles from the inter-city bus terminal in Gadang, Malang. Every Thursday, Asmorobangun dance is performed in padepokan. If you want to see the theatrical mask dance on the other days, you may ask the head of the art workshop to have a fragment of Panji Asmorobangun tales performed. The performance lasts only 30 minutes. You can also contact Mr. Karimun, the dalang or the director of the mask dance to have the dance performed. Mr. Karimun has devoted himself for 40 years in maintaining and developing the mask dance.
Source: Panorama, January 1996, page 18.
November 1st, 2006
Candi Jajaghu, or ‘Jago’, lies just 22 km east of Malang, in the village of Tumpang. The temple was built in about 1530 AD in memory of King Wisnuwardhana (King IV of Singosari), who died in the latter half of the thirteenth century.
The building we see today, however, probably dates from about a century later. The relief carvings on the temple walls, recounting legends of Hindu, Buddhist and local origin, are among the finest in East Java and express clearly the figurative style of the Javanese wayang kulit, the popular shadow puppet theatre.
The temple’s principal chamber, situated on the uppermost level of the building and now almost completely in ruins, used to contain a number of impressive stone-statues. One, a headless portrait of King Wisnuwardhana, stands in the temple courtyard along with other remnants found in the vicinity of the site. Four more very beautiful images are on display in the National Museum, Jakarta.
source : www.petra.ac.id
November 1st, 2006
“Continue Your Struggle….”, that is a line and part of the message that was conveyed by the Great Commander General Sudirman, during the period of maintaining the Indonesian independence. These simple words, that contain high heroic values, are now engraved on a white marble tablet, beneath the statue of General Sudirman, right at the entrance to the Brawijaya Malang Museum.
Tourists can now commemorate the past, during the era of maintaining the national independence, at the Brawijaya Malang Museum. At almost every corner, tourists can find collections that incorporate the story, and function as witnesses of the unforgettable history. In the museum yard, or rather, on the road leading to the museum, tourists can find two tanks and three anti air attack weapons.
While entering the museum hall, in the room on the left side, there are some historical artifacts. Like the desk and chair used by General Sudirman, when he led the guerilla war in the Bajulan area of the Nganjuk Regency. And a yellow bamboo pole with the red and White tied to its tip. Other than that, are some weapons, that were used in the Battle of 10 November 1945, stored in a glass vitrine. Then the desk and chairs that were used during the cease fire negotiations, between Bung Karno accompanied by Bung Hatta, with Brigadier General Mallaby from the Allied Forces, are also kept in here.ÂÂ
On the walls of the museum are displayed paintings that illustrate the scene when the samurai was handed over, from the commander of the Japanese forces, to the Great Commander General Sudirman. This painting also implies that hand over of power from the colonial government to the government of The Republic of Indonesia. On the northern wall are also displayed some long fire arms, which were used by the Indonesian armed forces during the struggle for independence in 1945.
The completeness of historical artifacts in the Brawijaya Malang Museum is also evident in the west room. In this room, a rock is stored, the size of a human head, which was used by Pak Slamet (a Blitar citizen) to kill the Chairman of the Central Communist Party, Oloan Hutapea, during the Trisula Operation in South Blitar, in 1968.
“Death Coach”, which became the mute witness of the cruelty of the Dutch soldiers, has been placed in the centre room of the museum. This narrow coach was used by the Dutch Soldiers, to transport 100 fighters from Bondowoso to Bubudan, in Surabaya, on November 23, 1947. Of these 100 fighters some got sick, and some even died. Actually, there are three “Death Coaches”, but only one is kept in this museum.
Besides the “Death Coach”, tourist can get a close look at the “Si Gigir” boat, which was used by the Jokotole Sabililah troops in the Pasongan and Prenduan, Sumenep, Madura areas, in 1947. The “Si Gigir” boat was also used by the 35th Regiment of Lieutenant Colonel Chandra hasa, and 6 adjutants, to cross Paiton, Probolinggo, when they were pushed itno fights againts the suppresors.
There are still plenty of the other historical artifacts that you can witness at the Brawijaya Museum. That is why your visit to this museum will certainly be worthwhile, to obtain a portrait of the struggle of the Indonesian people in seizing and maintaining its independence.
Further information will be provided as soon as possible
Text and Photograph : Heru Edy Purwanto
Source : “Brawijaya Museum”, Travel Club Magazine, No. 109, September 1997, page. 50-51
November 1st, 2006