Special tree makes long journey to Jakarta<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The carved inverted tree in the middle of the
\nStruggle Exhibition hall of the Purna Bhakti Pertiwi Museum took
\na long and interesting journey from its natural home in East Java
\nto the President's museum.<\/p>\n
The sawo kecik manila (Manilkara kauki) tree was uprooted from
\nBaluran National Park, known locally as Alas Purwa, in Banyuwangi
\nin 1987 on the order of the President's wife, Ibu Tien Soeharto.<\/p>\n
The defunct Tempo weekly reported in its Sept. 12, 1987, issue
\nthat many years ago the governor of East Java, the late Soenandar
\nPrijosoedarmo, promised to give a sonokeling tree (Dalbergia
\nlatifolia) to Taman Mini. But for reasons unknown, the promise
\nwas not kept. Years later, Ibu Tien met Banyuwangi Regent S.
\nDjoko Wasito and asked him about the sonokeling tree. Knowing
\nthat there are no sonokeling trees in Banyuwangi, Wasito proposed
\ninstead to donate one of the many sawo kecik manila trees in
\nBaluran National Park.<\/p>\n
The First Lady gave the nod and special permission to uproot
\nthe tree was obtained from the Directorate General of Forest and
\nNature Protection and Preservation.<\/p>\n
On Dec. 8, 1986, sawo kecik manila tree No. 110 was chosen
\nbecause its was growing only 60 meters from the Indian Ocean
\nwhich would ease transportation by sea.<\/p>\n
\"There was nothing mystical in the tree chosen,\" Tatang
\nMulyana, Baluran Park's coordinator at that time, was quoted as
\nsaying by Tempo.<\/p>\n
However, since the 152 centimeter round and 25 meter-high tree
\ngrew in the forest of Alas Purwa which is known as an eerie
\nplace, a woman soothsayer who lived 20 kilometers from the 200-
\nyear-old tree was consulted.<\/p>\n
The soothsayer gave her permission and asked for an offering
\nof several animals for a successful tree uprooting. Chickens and
\nducks were given and they were kept alive following the
\nsoothsayer's order.<\/p>\n
The tree was extracted in the middle of December, 1986. Every
\nstep was carefully executed in order not to destroy any of its
\nroots. A number of residents from seven villages near the park
\nvolunteered for the work.<\/p>\n
The next task was to transport the tree to the port (which
\nport?), less than a kilometer away. A 800-meter-long railway had
\nto be laid to carry it, but transporting the tree to the port
\nstill took two months.<\/p>\n
A man reportedly drowned during the process. Banyuwangi
\nofficials reported that the man drowned when swimming in the sea,
\nbut rumors soon spread that Nyai Roro Kidul, the mythical queen
\nof the southern sea, was taking payment for the tree. The death
\nof two other residents who helped uproot the tree also
\nstrengthened the belief.<\/p>\n
A 25-ton crane broke when lifting the tree onto the Hang Tuah
\nII ship. Two other cranes, of 40 and 50 tons, had to be brought
\nfrom Surabaya to replace it. It was not until June 28, 1987 that
\nthe tree was finally shipped to Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The tree arrived at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah on July 17,
\n1987. According to people living near Taman Mini, the tree
\nsometimes produced yellow or bluish-green lights and a nice smell
\nbefore Central Java artist Agung B. Partawijaya finally carved
\nthe Ramayana story on it. (als)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/special-tree-makes-long-journey-to-jakarta-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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