Blitar: A charming town of temples and tradition<\/p>\n
Elvera N. Makki, Contributor, Blitar, East Java<\/p>\n
Blitar is not just a historical footnote as the ancestral home
\nand burial place of Sukarno. Thankfully bypassed by the rapid,
\nunchecked development of other places in East Java, the tranquil
\narea boasts a refreshing small town charm and the most
\noutstanding Hindu temple in the province.<\/p>\n
The elderly man prostrated himself in front of the short,
\nornately decorated fence surrounding the tomb. He cried as he
\nwhispered a prayer, scattering rose and jasmine petals into the
\nmausoleum enclosure.<\/p>\n
He was just one of the dozens of people visiting the mausoleum
\nof Sukarno at Bendogerit village in Blitar regency on this
\nmorning. Like the millions who have come before, they pay homage
\nto the country's founding father. President-elect Susilo Bambang
\nYudhoyono visited in early October after he defeated Sukarno's
\neldest daughter for the country's leadership.<\/p>\n
It's not only older citizens reminiscing about a great leader
\nwho make the trip; those intrigued by the enduring legacy of
\nBlitar's most famous native son, who died in 1970 but is still
\nidentified with Indonesia for many around the world, are also on
\nhand.<\/p>\n
\"Blitar has been well developed, so you've come here at the
\nright time. We have the new Bung Karno Library and the museum
\nover there,\" local tour guide pak Eko said, pointing at two grand
\nbuildings next to the grave area.<\/p>\n
The museum and library flank a big black statue of Sukarno
\nsitting on a chair.<\/p>\n
For some, Blitar's attractions may well start and stop at the
\njoglo traditional Javanese pavilion housing Sukarno's remains.<\/p>\n
They would be missing out on quite a bit, for the greenery of
\nits countryside, with farmers at work in their ricefields, and
\nslow pace of life (pedicabs and horse-drawn carts rule the clean,
\nneat streets) are perhaps as good a stress reliever for a harried
\ncity dweller as any pricey yoga class or a trip to a
\npsychiatrist.<\/p>\n
It's old-time Java at every corner, fully encapsulated in the
\nrelaxed, hushed confines of Hotel Sri Lestari, one of the best
\nplaces to stay in town.<\/p>\n
A boutique hotel, it was originally built in 1850 as part of a
\nDutch housing complex, and it continues to offer that 19th
\ncentury ambience.<\/p>\n
Guests should try to get rooms in the main building, where the
\nantiques and furniture are different in each room. In the most
\nexpensive and biggest room, where the bigwigs usually stay, there
\nis a collection of pictures of Sukarno (this is in addition to
\nabout 60 pictures of him displayed on the wall in the main
\nbuilding and lobby area).<\/p>\n
Long before there was Sukarno, his mausoleum and Sri Lestari,
\nhowever, there was Penataran Temple, which author Anne R. Kinney
\ncalled \"the only East Javanese site where the full extent of the
\ncomplex is revealed today\".<\/p>\n
Built over a period of 250 years, Penataran (it is also
\nspelled Panataran) is usually dated to 1320 AD and was a complex
\nof state temples of the Majapahit kingdom before Islam came to
\nJava.<\/p>\n
Sir Stamford Raffles, during the short period of British
\ncolonialism in Java in the 1800s, worked with historian Thomas
\nHorsfield on documenting the overgrown, abandoned temple, and it
\nis included in his The History of Java.<\/p>\n
The complex, lying about 10 kilometers north of Blitar on the
\nlower slope of Mt. Kelud, does not get as much attention as its
\nCentral Java counterpart Prambanan and the Buddhist Borobudur.
\nNevertheless, it is a stunning complex that has undergone several
\nrenovations and is now well maintained by the local government.<\/p>\n
There are three courtyards on the 12,946 square meters: candi
\ninduk (the Main Temple), the Dated Temple (so called because of
\nthe date engraved on its front) and the roofless Naga Temple,
\nwhich Kinney, in her copiously researched work Worshiping Siva
\nand Buddha: The Temple Art of East Java (University of Hawaii
\nPress, 2004), lauded as one of the most beautiful and unique
\ntemples in East Java for its mystical serpent decorations.<\/p>\n
There are also a couple of well-preserved bathing places and
\nthe story of the Ramayana told in more than 100 fascinating
\nreliefs.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, like other temples in the country, many of its
\nstatues and objects have been plundered over the years. Even so,
\nthis calm spot of historical significance is well worth a visit
\nduring a journey to East Java.<\/p>",
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