Showing posts with label Jogjakarta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jogjakarta. Show all posts

Friday, December 3, 2010

Kaliurang, Yogyakarta for honeymoon


 
Kaliurang is about 28 kilometers north from the city center, exactly in the hamlet of Kaliurang, Hargobinangun, Pakem, Sleman. Ground has now become an area of natural and cultural attractions that lure. Kaliurang is suitable as a place to honeymoon. The cool weather and natural background with a gurgling mountain stream really make a very romantic honeymoon. In addition, close to the city of Yogyakarta, which would become a city of fun and unforgettable for both of you.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Several reason to visit Solo

Solo, or Surakarta as it is formerly known, is located about 60 kilometres to the east of Yogyakarta in Central Java and is one of the principal batik centres in Java. Bordered by the longest river in Java, Begawan Solo, Solo has much to offer the traveller although oddly enough, it is less visited that its sister counterpart of Yogyakarta. The city is home to many traditional and heritage sites as well as many cultural and historic places. There are interesting museums, palaces and centres of art and culture. There are numerous shops that offer a variety of products and specialty items as well as excellent restaurants and cafes. It is a fun city to explore by becak or on foot and if you don’t have a clue where you are going then there are no shortage of local guides willing to tag along for a fee of course to enlighten you with the delights of the city.
However, if having a local guide is not your thing and you have ditched the guidebook, then here are a few places you have to see on your trip to this fascinating city.
Kasunanan Palace
Kasunana Palace, or Kraton Solo is an enormous landmark in the city. The palace is massive and was built in 1745. Interesting things to see when you visit this magnificent place are the royal heirlooms and ancient weapons, the numerous statues, and precious artefacts. “The Tower Of The Universe” is reputed to be the meeting place of The Goddess of the Sea. Although slightly smaller than the Kraton in Yogyakarta it still warrants a good morning of exploring and admiring the beauty of the structures.
Puro Mangkunegaran
http://www.indotoplist.com/member/admin/img_detail.php?detail_id=344
Located in the heart of Solo, Puro Mangkunegaran was constructed in 1757 and is referred to as the other palace in Solo. The Mangkunegaran Palace is a potpourri of classical Javanese art and culture with numerous priceless treasures which are believed to be from the Majapahit and Mataram kingdoms. The palace also features an exquisite collection of wayang puppets, dance masks, wayang orang costumes, religious icons and jewellery pieces. There are also numerous antiques and heirlooms.
Pasar Klewer
Known as the most famous and the biggest textile market in the region, it is a three storey concrete block that is jam packed with everything imaginable that can be made from textiles. Most of the batik available is printed batik (batik cap) but you can also find the hand-drawn (batik tulis) batik, however, you will have to look hard for it. You can even find tailors working in this market and they will make you anything you want, for a price of course.
Pasar Triwindu
The flea market of all flea markets and a great place to rummage around albeit a bit dusty, and, anything but everything is available for sale here. For instance, antique batik, furniture, wayang puppets, keris, and the list goes on. However, you really have to know your stuff when shopping here for antiquated goods because a lot of the so-called antiques were produced only a few weeks earlier if you get my meaning. It is still a fabulous market to explore and wile away an hour or two.

Pasar Gede
Located in what is known as the Chinese quarter of Solo, Pasar Gede is a vast market selling fruit, vegetables, meat and fish, household items and the ilk. This is a lively market and well patronised by not only the locals but also those from out of town who come here daily for shopping. Another great market to wander around but do yourself a favour and get there early in the morning because as the day’s heat increases, so does the interior of the market.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Prambanan: Explore Hindu Temple inly in DI Jogjakarta

Description

As the largest Hindu temple in Southeast Asia, the beautiful and graceful temple of Prambanan is a magnificent spectacle and an icon of Indonesia’s cultural heritage.

Located not far from the Buddhist Borobudur temple, the proximity of the two temples tells us that on Java, Buddhism and Hinduism lived peacefully next to one another.

Prambanan is known locally as Roro Jonggrang, coming from the legend of the ‘slender virgin’. According to the legend once upon a time, there was a young and powerful man named Bandung Bondowoso.  He wanted to marry a beautiful princess named Roro Jonggrang. Her father, the king, agreed and forced her to marry Bandung Bondowoso. Butm Sita did not love him yet could not refuse him.

After careful consideration, she thought of a way to refuse Bondowoso, whose magical power was well-known.  She decided she would agree but only if Bondowoso built 1,000 temples in one night before the break of dawn.

She insisted that the work must be completed before the rooster crowed, something she believed was impossible. But with the help of genies and his own magical powers, Bondowoso managed to complete 999 temples. Panicked, Jonggrang told the women of her village to start pounding rice so that the rooster would wake up and begin to crow.  When Bondowoso heard this he was deeply disappointed and wildly enraged. When he found out that Roro Jonggrang had made the roosters crow, he turned her into stone, The statue of a slender virgin graces the main Prambanan temple, while a group of temples nearby is called the Candi Sewu or the Thousand Temples.

The  temples at Prambanan were built in the 9th century. The biggest temple is dedicated to Shiva – the destroyer, and the two smaller ones which sit on its right and left are dedicated to Brahma -¬ the creator and Wisnhu – the sustainer.  The tallest temple of Prambanan is a staggering 47 meters high. Its peak visible from far away and rises high above the ruins of the other temples.

After hundreds of years of neglect, the Prambanan temple was rediscovered by CA Lons, a Dutchman, in 1733. Since then, this temple has been revitalized and today is widely regarded as the most beautiful and graceful Hindu temple in Indonesia.

The grandeur, complexity, and integrated architectural concept of Prambanan makes this a truly amazing structure. As a unique cultural and architectural marvel, Prambanan was declared a World Heritage site in 1991 by UNESCO.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Course Batik, Batik Tulis Cultural Comprehen to Painting






Some places in Yogyakarta batik providing learning facilities. You can explore the culture of batik painting and practicing until making batik motif legendary.

Course Batik, Batik Tulis Cultural Comprehen to Painting

Visiting Yogyakarta, you can not just buy and enjoy artwork of wonderful batik, but also the opportunity to learn manufacturing techniques. A very valuable opportunity was packed in attractive tourist packages with a relatively short duration and at an affordable price, would be very nice.

Variety of batik can be studied include batik, printed batik and batik painting. Any place that offers usually have their own specifications about the type of batik being taught. During the day, usually divided into two sessions, you will learn the entire process of batik making is generally composed of motifs, coloring sheet, process and drying ngorot night.

Pattern-making process begins when the whole material, especially cloth, was ready. Motive for it is done with the main ingredient in candles or night that is used as a color barrier substance. If you want to make batik, the motive for it is used with canting tool while using the stamp printed batik batik which has been designed according to the desired pattern.

Usually, you are free to choose the motif to be made. Unique motifs that can be fried like motifs, motifs and motif cecek sawut cement. All motifs were found in historic buildings in Indonesia. Motives are fried at Borobudur, the motive is in cecek sawut decorative bronze drums in the Bronze Age while the motive is to eat cement Queen Kalinyamat.

The process continued with colored cloth. Way, which has dimotif cloth dipped in a bucket containing pigments. This process seems simple, but actually quite difficult, especially if you want batik more than two colors. Many batik still use natural dyes made from certain natural materials, but many are also using synthetic dyes.

After thoroughly colored cloth, batik-making process followed by nglorot night, or dissolve the wax embedded in the fabric. Initially, prepared before the boiling water mixed with soda ash and finally soaked cloth until all the wax is water soluble. When the candle has not been dissolved, it must be cleaned first post pelorotan.

Stage is finally washing. When using natural dyes, it can not use a washing detergent because it will damage the color. After being washed, the fabric is dried in air the diangin way so that the color does not fade. After this dried, you can see the difference batik, colored with natural dyes, usually more dull color.

Places in Yogyakarta batik course provides professional instructors that can make you proficient in the course despite the short time period. Some places also have a master instructor of foreign languages, generally English, making it easier for you to understand the material provided.

Some places that provide services such as batik course Kalpika Studios in the Village Park, west of Castle. There, you will be offered to learn batik painting. For those of you who want to study and stamp batik (print), Balai Batik is the right place. Institute located at Jalan this Kusumanegara menyiapak power and a special room bagia you who want to learn batik. The cost varies according to the desired length of courses, ranging between USD 250,000.00 to USD $ 1,500,000.00.

In addition to learning batik, you can also observe the activities and the work of batik village since the park was developed 30 years ago painting batik. You can also see various works on display batik archipelago in the Central Batik.

Prambanan Hindu Temple Beautiful in the World






Prambanan Hindu Temple Beautiful in the World

Prambanan temple is incredibly beautiful building built in the 10th century during the reigns of two kings, and Rakai Rakai Pikatan Balitung. Rose as high as 47 feet (5 meters higher than Borobudur temple), the establishment of this temple has fulfilled the desire maker, shows the triumph of Hinduism in Java. This temple is located 17 kilometers from the city center, in the middle of the area that is now a beautiful park.

There is a legend that Javanese people always tell about this temple. Once, a man named Bandung Bondowoso loved Roro Jonggrang. Because no love, Jonggrang asked Bondowoso make 1000 temples with statues in one night. The request was nearly fulfilled before Jonggrang asked the villagers to pound rice and make a big fire that created an atmosphere like the morning. New Bondowoso can make 999 statues cursed Jonggrang into the statue in 1000 because he felt cheated.

Prambanan temple has 3 main temples in the main yard, namely Vishnu, Brahma, and Shiva. These three temples are symbols of Trimurti in Hindu belief. All of them face east. Each main temple has accompanying temple facing to the west, namely Nandini for Shiva, Swan to Brahma, and Garuda for Vishnu. In addition, there are still squeeze 2 temple, the temple curtain 4, and 4 corner temples. Meanwhile, the second page had 224 temples.

Entering the Shiva temple located in the middle and the highest building, you will find a room 4. One main room contains a statue of Shiva, while the other 3 rooms each containing a statue of Durga (Shiva's wife), Agastya (Shiva's teacher), and Ganesha (Shiva's son). Durga is mentioned as the statue of Roro Jonggrang described in the legend above.

In the Vishnu temple is located in the north of Shiva temple, you will only see one room containing a statue of Vishnu. Similarly, the Brahma temple located on the south side of Shiva temple, you will only find one room with a statue of Brahma.

Accompanying temple is Garuda temple lure is located near the Vishnu temple. This temple save the story of a half-bird figure named Garuda. Garuda is a mystical bird in Hindu mythology, who was gold, white-faced, red-winged, beaked and winged like an eagle. Estimated, the figure is Hindu adaptation of Bennu figure (means 'rises' or 'shine', usually associated with the god Re) in ancient Egyptian mythology or Phoenix in Old Greek mythology. Garuda can save his mother from the curse of Aruna (Garuda's brother who was born handicapped) by stealing Tirta Amrita (holy water of the gods).

The ability to save was admired by many people until now and used for various purposes. Indonesia used it to sign the state. That said, the creator of the emblem of Garuda Pancasila find inspiration in this temple. Other countries also use it to sign the country is Thailand, with the same reason but adaptation forms and different appearance. In Thailand, Garuda is known as Pha recruited or recruited.

Prambanan temple also has a load relief Ramayana story. According to experts, the relief was similar to the Ramayana story is revealed through oral traditions. Another interesting relief is Kalpataru tree that the Hindu religion is considered as a tree of life, sustainability and environmental compatibility. In Prambanan, relief of Kalpataru tree is described lions flanking the center. The existence of this tree makes experts consider that the 9th century have wisdom in managing the environment.

Just as the figure of Garuda, Kalpataru is now also used for various purposes. In Indonesia, Kalpataru became a symbol of the Earth (WALHI). In fact, some scientists in Bali to develop the concept of Tri Hita Karana for environmental conservation by seeing Kalpataru relief in this temple. Tree of life also can be found in the mountains that used to open the puppet arts. A proof that the relief panels in Prambanan has worldwide.

If careful, you can also see various birds relief, this time a real bird. Bird reliefs at Prambanan so natural that biologists can identify them even to genus level. One was relief of the Yellow-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua sulphurea) that invite questions. Why, the bird is only found in Masakambing Island, an island in the Java Sea. Then, whether the species was once numerous in Yogyakarta? Please find out the answer myself. Because, until now no one who can solve the mystery.

Well, there are many more to be unearthed at Prambanan. You must not tire of course. If it was finally exhausted, you can rest in the garden around the temple. Interested? Come immediately. Since September 18, 2006, you can enter the zone 1 Prambanan not even get into the temple. Some of the damage caused by the earthquake May 27, 2006 and is now being repaired.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Parangtritis beach





Parangtritis is a tourist place of the Indian Ocean coastal beaches are located approximately 25 kilometers south of Yogyakarta city. Parangtritis an object to a well-known tourism in Yogyakarta in addition to other objects such as Samas beach, Baron, Kukup Krakal and Glagah Beach. Parangtritis has unique scenery that is not in the other tourist attractions besides the big waves are also the mountain - the frequency dunes around the coast, these dunes called Gumuk.

This tourism object is managed by the local government of Bantul pretty well, ranging from lodging facilities as well as souvenir markets offering typical South. In addition there is bathhouse called wedang machete in the bath water is said to cure various diseases including skin diseases, water from the bath containing sulfur from the mountian at these locations. Another location is the beach kusumo machetes on the beach where there is supposedly for a meeting place between the king with a queen jogjakarta southern ocean.

On certain days (usually months suro) here is offering offerings (Labuhan) for the Queen of the South Sea or in the Java language called Nyai Rara Kidul. Locals believe that a person is forbidden to use green colored clothes when they're on this coast. Parangtritis beach into a major tourist visits, especially in the Javanese New Year's Eve (1 sacred / Suro). In Parangtritis there is also horse-drawn carriage or a horse that can be rented for up the coast from east to west.