YOGYAKARTA

The Special Region of Yogyakarta is the smallest province of Indonesia. It is located on the island of Java. It is the only province in Indonesia that is still formally governed by a precolonial Sultanate, the Sultanate of Ngayogkarto Hadiningrat. In English it is pronounced djogdjakarta, which derives from its Dutch spelling Jogjakarta. In Javanese ( and Dutch ) it is pronounced Jogjakarta. The city of Yogyakarta is capital of province.
Yogyakarta is located in south-central Java. It is surrounded by the province of Central Java and the Indian Ocean.
The population of DIY in 2003 was approximately 3,000,000. The province of Yogyakarta has a total area of 3,185.80 km². Yogyakarta has the second-smallest area of the provinces in Indonesia, after the Jakarta Capital Region. However it has, along with adjacent areas in Central Java, some of the highest population densities of Java.
Located within the Yogyakarta province, Yogyakarta city is known as a center of classical Javanese fine art and culture such as batik, ballet, drama, music, poetry and puppet shows. It is also famous as a center for Indonesian higher education. At Yogyakarta’s center is the kraton, or Sultan’s palace. While the city sprawls in all directions from the kraton, the core of the modern city is to the north.
The Jogjakarta Sultane, formally the Sultanate of Ngayogkarto Hadiningrat, was formed in 1775 when the existing Sultanate of Mataram was divided by the Dutch East Indian Company (VOC) in two under the Treaty of Giyanti. This treaty states that the Sultanate of Mataram was to be divided into the Sultanate of Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat with Yogyakarta as the capital and Mangkubumi who became Sultan Hamengkubuwono I as its Sultan and the Sultanate of Surakarta Hadiningrat with Surakarta as the capital and Pakubowono III who was the ruler of the Sultanate of Mataram as its Sultan. The Sultan Hamengkubuwono I spent the next 37 years building the new capital, with the Kraton as the centerpiece and the court at Surakarta as the blueprint model. By the time he died in 1792, his territory exceeded Surakarta’s.
The ruler Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX (April 12, 1912 – 1988) held a degree from the Dutch Leiden University, and held for a time the largely ceremonial position of Vice-President of Indonesia, in recognition of his status, as well as Minister of Finance and Minister of Defense.
In support of Indonesia declaring independence from the Dutch and Japanese occupation, in September 5, 1945, Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX of Yogya and Sri Paku Alam VIII in Yogya declared their sultanates to be part of the Republic of Indonesia. In return for this unfailing support, a law was passed in 1950, in which Yogyakarta was granted the status of province Daerah Istimewa (Special Region Province), with special status that recognizes the power of the Sultan in his own region’s domestic affairs. Hence Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX was appointed as the governor for life. During the Indonesia National Revolution against the Dutch after World War II (1945-1950), the capital of the newly-declared Indonesia republic was temporarily moved to Yogyakarta when the Dutch reoccupied Jakarta from January 1946 until August 1950.
The current ruler of Yogyakarta is his son, Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, who holds a law degree from Universitas Gajah Mada. Upon the elder sultan’s death, the position of governor, according to the agreement with Indonesia, was to pass to his heir. However, the central government at that time insisted on an election. In 1998, Sultan Hamengkubuwono X was elected as governor by the provincial house of representatives (DPRD) of Yogyakarta, defying the will of the central government. He remains the only governor in Java without a military background: “I may be a sultan,” he has been quoted in Asia Weeks as saying, “but is it not possible for me to also be a democrat?”

2006 Earthquake

The province of Yogyakarta bore the brunt of a 6.3-magnitude earthquake on 27 May 2006 which killed 5,782 people and left some 36,299 persons injured. More than 135,000 houses are damaged, and 600,000 people are homeless. The earthquake extensively damaged the local region of Bantul, and its surrounding hinterland. The most significant number of deaths occurred in this region.

The coincidence of the recent eruption of Mount Merapi, and the earthquake would not be lost on the older and more superstitious Javanese – as such natural phenonomena are given considerable import within their understanding of the spiritual aspect of such events.

Borobudur and Prambanan are without question the largest and most interesting of the temple around Yogyakarta. Dating from about 850 AD, Boronbdur is the world’s largest Buddhist temple. Prambanan is a fascinating complex of Hindu temples for about the same time. Both are UNESCO World heritage sites. There are several other interesting temples, though. Ijo Temple on Drain Hill in Yogyakarta dates to the 9th century and overlook the city. Mendut temple not far from Borobudur, dates to 824 AD. Tara (or Kalasan) temple on Kalasan village is the oldest Buddhist temple on Java. Dozens of temple surround Yogyakarta.

Yogyakarta province has a number of good beaches. Perhaps the most popular is Parangtritis Beach about 15 miles from the city of Yogyakarta. The beach has a place in javanese mythology and the Sultan of Yogyakarta makes an annual trip here to make an offering to the goddess of the sea. Baron beach, about 35 miles from the city, is also popular, an underground river empties into the bay where the beach is located. About 5 miles from the Baron beach, the white sand Krakal beach is popular sunbathing and snorkeling spot. Samas beach is another white sand, about 20 miles southwest of Yogyakarta.

There are number of the museums and cultural monuments the city. The Tugu Monument is a good starting place. Built by Sri Sultan Hemengkubuwono VI (reigned 1855-1877), the monument is in center of the town. The 82 foot high tower has religious of significance to the Javanese. Kakayon Museum preserves wayang puppets used in Javanese shadow puppet theater. The Affandi Museum has three galleries devoted to Javanese artist-one focus exclusively on Affandi’s work. The Yogya Kembali Monument is the beautiful three story building that commemorates Yogyakarta’s history and Indonesian Independence. There are other places.

No list of places to see Yogyakarta would be complete without mentioning the First Palace of Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat Kingdom. The remains of the first palace, occupied only for a few years, are south the city. Loji and Bintaran, two of Yogyakarta’s colonial era Dutch residential neighborhoods, are worth visiting. King Boko’s palace was built by in the early 9th century outside of Yogyakarta as a Buddhist monastery. It overlooks Prambanan Temple and Yogyakarta. finally, take a trip out to Serangan village to see how Javanese smiths forge the marginal knife, or Keris, that is so important to Javanese culture.

If you just looking for a good deals, Yogyakarta’s Chinatown, called Pecinan, is the place to start. Gabusan Market is perhaps the city’s best art market. Pasar Beringharjo is one of the city’s old colonial-era traditional markets, in operation now since 1758, the market is huge and burginning is expected. If you are looking for more modern venue, at Malioboro Mall you can get your hair done, buy a fair of reebooks, and dine at KFC. The city is filled with souvenirs. There is a ceramics industry and a community of silver smiths. Do not miss the Ngasem Bird Market.

Ganjuran Jesus sacred heard church is 12 miles from the city of Yogyakarta. The church was built in 1924 by Dutch owners of a nearby sugar factory. The building integrates Dutch an Javanese architectural styles. There is a statue of Marry Carrying Baby Jesus, dressed in Javanese clothing. There is a depiction of the Stations of the cross with Jesus dressed to resemble a Hindu Monk. You can attend Mass held in the Javanese language, accompanied with Gamelan music. And there is space for parishioners to sit cross legged on the floor in traditional Javanese style. Ganjuran is sometime called a “Temple Church”.

One reason for the vitality of Yogyakarta is its Sultan, Hamengkubuwono X. Hamengkubuwono IX worker for independence from the Dutch and was rewarded by being made hereditary ruler of Yogyakarta within the framework of modern Indonesia. When Hamengkubuwono IX died in 1988, Indonesia reneged on that promise and insisted on an election. Sri Sultan Kemengkubuwono X won easily, making him the hereditary ruler and elected governor of the province. TIME magazine has called him a hero of democracy in Indonesia. Whatever also he may be, he is the living embodiment of Javanese culture and a demigod in the eyes of his subjects.

TAMAN SARI

Taman Sari are the ruins of a water castle, built in 1758, located west of Karaton. It was once a splendid pleasure park of the Sultans and Royal Families, and badly damaged due to an earthquake in 1865. The bathing pools have been restored and the rest is an interesting place of eerie ruins, underground passages and a large subterranean mosque. Nowadays, it has a kampung (village) where small houses and art galleries stand.

PRAMBANAN TEMPLE

Prambanan is the largest Hindu temple compound in Indonesia, located approximately 18 km east of Yogyakarta.
The temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the largest Hindu temples in south-east Asia. It is characterised by its tall and pointed architecture, typical of Hindu Temple Architecture, and by the 47m high central building inside a large complex of individual temples.

It was built around 850 CE by either Rakai Pikatan, king of the second Mataram dynasty, or Balitung Maha Sambu, during the Sanjaya Dynasty. Not long after its construction, the temple was abandoned and began to deteriorate. Reconstruction of the compound began in 1918 The main building was completed in around 1953. Much of the original stonework has been stolen and reused at remote construction sites. A temple will only be rebuilt if at least 75% of the original stones are available, and therefore only the foundation walls of most of the smaller shrines are now visible and with no plans for their reconstruction.

The temple was damaged during the Earthquake in Java in 2006. . Early photos suggest that although the complex appears to be structurally intact, damage is significant. Large pieces of debris, including carvings, were scattered over the ground. The temple has been closed to the public until damage can be fully assessed. The head of Yogyakarta Archaeological Conservation Agency stated that: “it will take months to identify the precise damage.However, some weeks later in 2006 the site re-opened for visitors. The immediate surroundings of the Hindu temples remain off-limits for safety reasons.

The compound is assembled of eight main shrines or candis, and more than 250 surrounding individual Candis . The three main shrines, called Trisakti (Ind. “three sacred places”), are dedicated to the three gods: Shiva the Destroyer, Vhisnu the Keeper and Brahma the Creator.

The Shiva shrine at the center contains four chambers, one in every cardinal direction. While the first contains a three meter high statue of Shiva, the other three contain smaller statues of Durga, his wife, Agastya, a risi, and Ganesha, his son.

The shrine of Durga is also called the temple of Loro Jonggrang (slender virgin), after a Javanese princess, daughter of King Boko. She was forced to marry a man she did not love, Bandng Bondowoso. After long negotiations she eventually agreed to the marriage, under the condition that her prince should build her a temple ornamented with 1000 statues, between the setting and the rising of the sun.

Helped by supernatural beings, the prince was about to succeed. So the princess ordered the women of the village to set a fire in the east of the temple, attempting to make the prince believe that the sun was about to rise. As the cocks began to crow, fooled by the light, the supernatural helpers fled. The prince, furious about the simple trick, changed Loro Jongrang to stone. She became the last and the most beautiful of the thousand statues.

The two other main shrines are that of Vishnu, to the north, and the one of Brahma, facing to the south. In front of each main temple is a smaller candis on the east side, dedicated to the mounts of the respective god – the bull Nandi for Shiva, the gander Angsa for Brahma, and Vishnu’s Eagle Garuda , which serves as the national symbol of Indonesia (cf. also to the airline Garuda Indonesia)

The bas-reliefs along the twenty sides of the temple depict the Ramayana legend. They illustrate how Sinta, the wife of Rama, is abducted by an evil ogre. The monkey king Hanoman brings his army to help Rama and rescue Sita. This story is also shown by the Ramayana Ballet, regularly performed at full moon in front of the illuminated Prambanan complex.

The temple complex is surrounded by more than 250 individual temples of different sizes, called Peara, believed to have been offered to the king as a sign of submission. The Pewara are arranged in four rows around the central temples, according to the rank of the people allowed to enter them. While the central row was accessible to the priests only, the other three were reserved for the nobles, the knights and the simple people respectively.

Not far to the west are found Candi Kalasan and Candi Sari, and to the south the Ratu Boko on higher ground. Each provides further clues and details of the Prambanan complex and some of its mysteries.

BOROBUDUR TEMPLE

42 km from Yogyakarta, this 1,200 year old Buddhist temple, is a place of art and architecture and is one of the most famous temples in the world. The Waicak ceremony is held at both the Borobudur temple and Mendut temple in Magelang regency Buddhist followers from around the globe take a part in this religious ceremony that usually the place in May.

CENTRAL MUSEUM

well as there being excellent displays of everything Indonesian, leather puppet shows, called Wayang Kulit, are performed every second and last Saturday night of the month at the Central Museum in Jakarta.

KISKENDO CAVE
Kiskendo Cave is located in the Menoreh mountain, Kulon Progo Regency. The area lies about 700m above sea level. To the east, vast lowlands extending around the Progo river can be admired and to the south, in the distance one can see the Indian Ocean. The cave can be reached by road but those using big vehicles (buses and the like) are advised to stop at the Kecamatan Girimulyo (district) and proceed by smaller vehicles because of the narrowness of the road. The views of the mountainous area and the terraced rice fields en-route are a beautiful sight.

MOUNT MERAPI

2.920 m above sea level, is one of the active volcanoes found in Indonesia. During its time of rest, when it’s not puffing out plumes of sulfur-laden smoke, mountaineering is a popular activity on its slopes. From the observation post located on Plawangan hill that can be reached through the forest resort of Kaliurang, you will see the incredible sights of molten rock oozing over the rim, sometimes accompanied with hot lava pouring out regularly and leaving a long trail of smoke.

SULTAN’S PALACE / NGAYOGYAKARTO HADININGRAT

The palace building founded by Sultan Hamengku Buwono I in 1775 is an impressive sight. The front yard is called Alun-alun Lor (North Square) and the back is called Alun-alun Kidul (South Square). The palace building and the Tugu (obelisk) were drawn in a sacred axis heading to Merapi volcano. In ancient times, the Sultan used to meditate along this axis before making an important decision.

RATU BOKO TEMPLE (Hindu Temple)

High on a mountain side about 3 km to the South of Prambanan temple, Ratu Boko Temple, provides spectacular vistas of the Prambanan plain. To this day it is still unknown who discovered Ratu Boko or who named it. Inscriptions dating from the mid 700’s say that it was a dormitory for monks. There are several ruins, including a well preserved arena which was used as a hall for royal audiences. Some legends say that it was also used as a venue for tests of mortal combat. A series of circular plunge pools carved into the limestone were used as royal baths. But most spectacular of all, is the entrance gate. With two separate gateways set on different levels, it contains very elaborate stone facings.

SENDANGSONO

Sendangsono lies on the slope of the Menoreh mountain range, in the Kulon Progo Regency, some 40km north-west of Yogyakarta. The word ” Sendang ” means a spring whereas ” Sono ” is the name of giant tree. Thus, Sendangsono means a spring under a Sono tree. It is considered to be the holy place for the Catholics, and it can be regarded as the Lourdes of South-east Asia. (Pilgrimage to Sendangsono May and October are considered as holy months to honor Maria, Mother of Jesus Christ. Thousands of Roman Catholics from all over Indonesia and abroad, make their pilgrimage to Sendangsono in these months. Pilgrims walk as far as 3.5 km along the road starting from Banjaroya Kalurahan (village) office on the Sentolo-Muntilan road to reach the Promasan Church.)

WAYANG KULIT

Do not miss the Wayang Kulit Performances that on display at various venues throughout Yogyakarta. This is another MUST DO if visiting Indonesia.