YOU CAN SEE THE AMAZING TEMPLE IN BALI, INDONESIA...

Bali is one of famous province in Indonesia with their unique culture and beautiful panorama. Some people say that Bali is “Heaven of Indonesia” since it can be attracted people to view the circumstance with amazed feeling. While people visit Bali, they will not complete their journey without visiting the biggest temple there namely “BESAKIH TEMPLE”.

Besakih Temple is located in Besakih Village, Karangasem, Bali, Indonesia consist of 18 temple and 1 temple becomes the main temple. It is the centre of the whole temple ritual in Bali so that all people from Bali or outside Bali come to do their ritual on this temple. The phylosophy of it not just as ritual place for Hindu people but related with Batur Mountain, the highest mountain in Bali, which believed as palace of God. There are 3 of God statue there called Tri Murti Brahma as God of Creator, Wisnu as God of keeper and Siwa as God of Destruction.

The phylosophy meaning on its name contains cultures substances including : Science system, Live equipment and technology, society organizations, Sustainable livelihood, language, religion and ritual, and arts.The whole substances had already existed on pra-Hindu period even on the recent period while Hindu’s culture has developed through some steps. Now, Besakih Temple has became an icon for Bali Island which can attract all people to view and explore it.

THE MYSTERI OF ROMAN FIGURE “IIII” ON GADANG BIG BEN , WEST SUMATERA,INDONESIA

Icon Big Ben not only exist in England, but Indonesia also have it. While in England called Big Ben, in Indonesia, placed in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, well known with Jam Gadang. It was constructed on 1926 by architect named Yazin and Sutan Gigi Ameh, whether this Indonesian big ben become a symbol in this province.

Staring Jam Gadang at glance, will not find any peculiarity to this building with height 26 m. The form is circle with diameter 80 cm and the monument is 13x4 m. It uses roman figure starting from I, II, III but for the next figure written IIII not common roman figure IV and being normal for the next figure written until XII.
Based the story around the society, figure four made out by line figure meant to show the total victims (4 persons) died whether constructing the building. The possibility to be wrong for roman figure written is not acceptable because jam gadang was made out by clock expert in USA.

The machine of jam gadang is believed only exist 2 machine in the world, which other machine was installed on Big Ben, England. It was created by England aristocratic Forman, then named Brixlion.
Long ago at Dutch colonization, on the top monument was installed a cock statue but at Japanese colonization substituted become temple ornament. Substitution after Japanese colonization by installing rumah gadang (Gadang House) and become icon in Bukittinggi, West Sumatera.

The Famous Indonesian Artistic House "RUMAH GADANG" from Sumatera

Rumah Gadang is one of Minangkabau's symbol, the most common housing forms have traditionally been wooden and raised on piles, built of locally gathered materials, with steeply pitched, roofs. Their culture is matrilineal, with property and land being passed down from mother to daughter, while religious and political affairs are the province of men. The Minangkabau are strongly Islamic, but also follow their own ethnic traditions, or adat. Minangkabau adat was derived from animistic and Hindu beliefs before the arrival of Islam, and remnants of animistic beliefs still exist even among some practicing Muslims. As such, women are customarily the property owners; husbands are only tolerated in the house at certain times and under special conditions, and must return to their sisters' house to sleep.

The external walls of a rumah gadang are covered with various motifs, each having a symbolic meaning. A communal rumah gadang is a long house, rectangular in plan, with multiple gables and upsweeping ridges, forming buffalo horn-like ends. They normally have three-tiered projections, each with varying floor levels. They are broad and set on wooden piles that can reach as high as 3 meters (10 feet) off the ground; sometimes with a verandah running along the front face of the house which is used as a reception and dining area, and as a sleeping place for guests. Unlike the Toba Batak homes, where the roof essentially creates the living space, the Minangkabau roof rests on conventional walls. Cooking and storage areas are often in separate buildings.

The house is largely constructed of wood; an exception being the being the rear longitudinal wall which is a plain lattice woven in a chequered pattern from split bamboo. The roof is of a truss and cross-beam construction, and is typically covered with thatch from the fibre of the sugar palm (ijuk), the toughest thatch material available and said to last a hundred years.The thatch is laid in bundles which can be easily fitted to the curved, multi-gabled roof. Contemporary homes, however, are more frequently using corrugated iron in place of thatch. Roof finials are formed from thatch bound by decorative metal bindings and drawn into points said to resemble buffalo horns - an illusion to a legend concerning a bullfight from which the 'Minangkabau' name is thought to have been derived. The roof peaks themselves are built up out of many small battens and rafters.

The women who share the house have sleeping quarters set into alcoves - traditionally odd in number - that are set in a row against the rear wall, and curtained off by the vast interior space of the main living area. Traditionally, large communal rumah gadang will be surrounded by smaller homes built for married sisters and daughters of the parent family. It is the responsibility of the women's maternal uncle to ensure that each marriageable woman in the family has a room of her own and to this end will build either a new house or more commonly additionally annexes to the original one. It is said that the number of married daughters in a home can be told by the counting its horn-like extensions; as they are not always added symmetrically, rumah gadang can sometimes look unbalanced.

THE MOST POPULAR JAVANESE ORCHESTRA FROM INDONESIA

On traditional Indonesian view, gamelan was holy and believed having magical energy. Both gamelan’s player or not had high appreciation to gamelan by serving flower or traditional fragrance. They believed that each instrument on gamelan dwelling by death soul thus people were forbidden to walk in the middle of gamelan since they considered the death soul will be angry and bring some accident. On Javanese gamelan, the prior instrument is Gong Ageng. Javanese musicians believe that Gong Ageng will be the main soul of the whole gamelan.

In the ancient time, gamelan was played solely on some event like traditional ritual,people ceremony, puppet performance, and for aristocrate society. Gamelan also played accompanying traditional dance for some ritual. Recently gamelan plays for music concert, drama, modern or traditional dance, Also some people collect it and storing in museum, school, or even at home.

There are some instruments on gamelan:
1. Kendang (double ended drum beaten by hands)

It is a leading instrument. The pengendang (drumer) is the conductor of the gamelan orchestra. There are five (5) different sizes of kendang from 20 cm to 45 cm.

2. Saron

A glockenspiel with bronze bar struck with wooden mallet. There are three kinds; Saron Barung, Saron Peking, Saron Demung.

3. Bonang Barung

A double row of bronze kettles resting on a horizontal frame, played with two long stick bound with red cord at the striking end.

4. Bonang Penerus

5. Slentem

Thin bronze bars suspended over bamboo resonating chambers, struck with a padded disc on the end of a stick.

6. Gender

Similar to slentem with more bronze keys and smaller bamboo chamber, struck with two disc-shaped hammers.

7. Gambang

Wooden bars laid over a wooden frame struck with two sticks of supple buffalo horn, ending with a small, round, padded disc.

8. Gong

Each slendro and pelog set had three gongs. Two big gongs (Gong Ageng) and one gong Suwukan about 90 cm, made from bronze, suspended on a wooden frame. It marks the end of the largest phrase of the melody. 9. Kempul

Smaller gongs, marks a smaller phrase. In each slendro and pelog set, there are 6 (six) or 10 (ten) kempuls.

10. Kenong

Smaller gongs lay horizontally on crossed cord, inside a wooden frame. A complete set of kenong in each slendro and pelog consist of 10 (ten) kenongs.

11. Ketug

The kenong player also plays it smaller kenong, marks subdivisions of phrases.

12. Clempung

A string instrument, each slendro and pelog set needs one clempung.

13. Siter. Smaller cemplung, each slendro and pelog set needs one siter

14. Suling. It is a flute, each slendro and pelog set, needs one suling

15. Rebab. A two stringed viol, the same as slendro and pelog.

16. Keprak and Kepyak. Needed for gamelan to accompany dances.

17. Bedug. It is a very big drum.

There are some ancient gamelan stored in Keraton Surakarta and Pura Mangkunegaran in Solo, Central Java. Those gamelan have different function and only performed at certain event.

A. Gamelan Keraton Surakarta
1. Gamelan Kanjeng Kyai Lokananta.This gamelan is played for welcoming guest of Sri Sunan Pakubuwono and special guest on Keraton Surakarta.
2. Gamelan Kanjeng Kyai Kaduk Manis RenggoPlayed on inauguration ceremony of Sri Sunan Pakubuwono
3. Gamelan Setu (Monggang) Played every Saturday starting from 4 pm.

B. Gamelan Pura Mangkunagaran
1. Gamelan Kyai Udan Riris (Slenoro) and Kyai Udan Arum (Pelog)Set of this gamelan were made out on KGPAA mangkunegara I (1739-1747) while MAngkunaegaran I lived with Prince Mangkubumi ( HB I ) who became his parents in law.
2. Gamelan Kyai Kanyut (Slendro) and Kyai Mesem (Pelog).Made out on 1743-1752 when Raden Mas Said was 22 - 28 years old by the best gamelan creator in Mataram region at that time. The gamelan gong is Kyai Angun-Angun.
3. Gamelan Corobalen Kyai Baswara, its Gong Kyai Dudhabangsong.Played for supporting encourage of troops to battlefield.4. Gamelan Kyai Pamedarsih (Kodok Ngorek), Gamelan Kyai Sagarawindu (Monggang Pakurmatan), Gamelan Kyai Lipur TambahonengGamelan created on K.G.P.AA Mangkunagoro I period.

SYMBOL OF INDONESIAN CLOTHE "BATIK"

The word Batik is originated from Javanese word, "amba", means ”writing” and "titik” means dot or point. In Indonesia, especially Java, batik is part of an ancient tradition, and some of the finest batik cloth in the world is still made there. . Motifs of flowers, twinning plants, leaves buds, flowers, birds, butterflies, fish, insects and geometric forms are rich in symbolic association and variety; there are about three thousand recorded batik patterns.

The patterns to be dyed into the the clothe are drawn with a canting, a wooden 'pen' fitted with a reservoir for hot, liquid wax. In batik workshops, circles of women sit working at clothes draped over frames, and periodically replenish their supply of wax by dipping their canting into a central vat. Some draw directly on the the cloth from memory; others wax over faint charcoal lines.This method of drawing patterns in wax on fine machine-woven cotton was practiced as a form of meditation by the female courtiers of Central Java; traditionally, batik tulis (tulis means 'write' in Indonesian) is produced by women.In the 19th century, the application of waxed patterns with a large copper stamp orcap saved the batik industry from competition with cheap printed European cloth. The semi-industrial nature of cap work allows it to be performed by men. Batik motifs recall characters from the Hindu epics, plants, animals, sea creatures and gamelan melodies.

In Surakarta rich creams and browns are juxtaposed with tinges of yellowish gold.White, undyed cloth is left to contrast with the sombre opulence of brown and blue dyes in Yogjakarta. The palette of the north coast were influenced by lively maritime trade and the textile traditions of the Chinese and Arab mercantile communities living in port and coastal towns.

The Symbolic Meaning of Batik's Motifs
The motifs of Batik, especially with old pattern, as in other field of Javanese tradition are symbolizing something. Might be, this is one of the reasons, why people still adore batik up to present date. Some of the motifs are :

a. Sido Mulyo :Sido (you should be ), mulyo (happy). Symbolizing 'you should be happy and rich man'.
b. Sido Dadi :Symbolizing 'you should be a man/woman as you wish (prosperous, high ranking position, wealthy, etc)'.
c. Satrio Wibowo :Symbolizing 'Man with dignity'.
d. Tikel Asmorodono :Tikel (more), Asmoro (love), Dono (gift).It is meant the one who wears this batik, should be loved more and more by others.

Yogyakarta and Solo are the centers of traditional of batiks, as the north coastal town of Pekalongan is the center of more modern batiks, using more floral and birds motifs. There are some well-known artists of batik design in Yogya and Solo, as well as some big batik manufacturers with famous trademarks.
The growing production of batik makes way to the establishment of mori (woven cotton fabrics) factories in Yogya and Central Java. The Batik research Institute was founded in Yogya.

ANGKLUNG, THE FAMOUS INDONESIAN MUSICAL INSTRUMENT

Angklung is a musical instrument made from bamboo tubes set to a bamboo frame. It is originated from Indonesia,.
This instrument will produce some note whether played by holding the base frame and the other hand shakes quickly from side to side. This causes a rapidly repeating note to sound. Thus each of performer will play just a note and together complete melodies are produced.

Angklung define as waditra made out from bamboo tubes and played by shaking so that produce some note(Rosidi, 2000:51. Rusnandar, et.al., 1996:23). Based on Balinese myth, angklung originated from word “angka” means note and “ lung” means broken or disappear. Angklung then can be defined as incomplete note or melody (Soepandi dan Atmadibrata, 1977:12).
No one truly knows when angklung had exist in Indonesia, from where and who the creator. But viewing from the historical story whether it usually played by Sundanese in West Java since ancient time, there is tendency that angklung originated from West Java. Later, angklung spread out almost in all West Java region and used as instrument on some traditional event. In Banten, Baduy, Sukabumi, Cirebon, etc, angklung has main function as ritual media such as ngaseuk pare (planting rice), nginebkeun pare (storing rice for temporary), ngampihkeun pare (storing rice), seren taun (annual ritual ceremony), nadran (visiting graveyard), ngunjung ka Gunung Jati , etc.

Beside using on ritual ceremony, angklung also used to play for convoying troops while go to battlefield. On the battle, Sultan Agung Banten always being row in line by angklung sound and it was also used on Pajajaran kingdom on Perang Bubat (Bubat Battle).

Angklung got more international attention when in 1938 Daeng Soetigna, from Bandung - West Java, expanded the angklung notations not only to play traditional pélog or sléndro scales, but also diatonic scale. Since then, angklung is often played together with other western music instruments in an orchestra. One of the first well-known performances of angklung in an orchestra was during the Bandung Conference in 1955. A few years later, Udjo Ngalagena, a student of Daeng Soetigna, opened his "Saung Angklung" (Angklung's House) in 1966 as centre of its development. In Bali, Indonesia, an ensemble of angklung is called gamelan angklung (anklung). The instruments are tuned to a 5-tone slendro scale, though actually most ensembles use a four-tone mode of the five-tone scale (an exception would be five-tone angklung from the north of Bali, as researched by Ruby Ornstein in the 1960s.)

"SONGKET " THE POPULAR INDONESIAN WEAVING CLOTHE

Songket is a fabric that belongs to the brocade family of textiles . It is hand-woven in silk or cotton, and intricately patterned with gold or silver threads. The metallic threads stand out against the background cloth to create a shimmering effect. In the weaving process the metallic threads are inserted in between the silk or cotton weft (latitudinal) threads.

The term songket comes from the Malay word menyongket, ‘to embroider with gold or silver threads’. Songket is a luxury product traditionally worn during ceremonial occasions as sarong , shoulder cloths or head ties. Songket headdresses were worn at the courts of the Malay Sultanates.

Songket can be worn as:
[1] Traditionally Muslim women and adolescent girls wove songket; "some boys and men are also weaving today".

[2] Traditionally-patterned Sumatran textiles embody a system of interpretable emblems.
In Indonesia, songket is produced in Sumatra, Kalimantan, Bali, Sulawesi, Lombok and Sumbawa. Outside of Indonesia, further production areas include the east coast of the Malay Peninsula and Brunei.

[3] Songket weaving is historically associated with areas of Malay settlement, and the production techniques could have been introduced by Arab and Indian merchants. Historically, production was located in politically significant kingdoms because of the high cost of materials; the gold thread used was originally wound with real gold leaf. Songket have been widely marketed as fashion apparel since the 1990s.