Sriwedari Park's glory days now just a distant memory<\/p>\n
Kartika Bagus C., The Jakarta Post, Surakarta<\/p>\n
For Surakartans, Sriwedari Park is not only a city park. Its
\nfunction went beyond that until it changed with the times.<\/p>\n
When celebrating its centenary on Jan. 1, people realized just
\nhow much the park had changed from its original concept when it
\nwas built by the King of Surakarta Hadiningrat Pakoe Boewono X,
\nin 1902. The king established the park to provide a public space
\nfor Surakartans and the surrounding countryside in the province
\nnow known as Central Java.<\/p>\n
Sudharmono, a 51-year-old historian of the Surakarta-based
\nState University of Sebelas Maret (UNS), said the reason for
\nbuilding the park was to enable Pakoe Boewono X to gain support
\nfrom his citizens. At that time, the King's power only covered
\nSurakarta city as it is today. Other parts of the former
\nSurakarta kingdom, including Boyolali, Sragen, Klaten, Kartosuro,
\nSukoharjo and Wonogiri, were taken over by the Dutch colonial
\nadministration.<\/p>\n
\"Sriwedari functioned as a public recreation center and a
\nJavanese cultural development center, besides remedying people's
\ndisappointment over the fading away of the Surakarta King's
\nauthority,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"The presence of local people in the Surakarta royal palace to
\nshow great respect for the King symbolized his remaining
\nauthority and became a cultural means of overcoming the Dutch
\nregulation that banned people from gathering in the palace.\"<\/p>\n
Located in the heart of Surakarta, or some 10 kilometers west
\nof the Kraton (palace) Surakarta Hadiningrat, the 61,739 square
\nmeter Sriwedari park used to serve as a zoological conservation
\ncenter, a zoo, an art and cultural center and a handicraft center
\nfor Surakarta, when the city had a population of only 110,000.
\nThe park also offered a transit venue for train passengers
\ntraveling between Purwosari and Kota railway station.<\/p>\n
The palace's observer of culture, Kalinggo Honggopuro, said
\nSriwedari was larger and better designed, with curving roads and
\nencircled by casuarina trees interspersed with mango and canary
\ntrees.<\/p>\n
There was a shelter, known as a wimbayasa, located in the
\nmiddle of the park, near a cluster of sekar tanjung trees, on
\nwhich various types of bird like white egret, wild and other
\nducks were perched. Pens for keeping animals like deer and mouse
\ndeer were found in the southern part of the park.<\/p>\n
An enclosure for elephants belonging to the palace was
\nsituated south of a recreation pond in the eastern part of the
\npark. Cages for panthers and tigers were found to the north of
\nthe pond, as were those for monkeys and orangutans to the west.<\/p>\n
After wayang orang (a traditional play) filled the regular
\nentertainment schedule in the park from 1907 (1836 in the
\nJavanese calendar), Sriwedari park management provided a special
\nstage for the play every Saturday evening. It was followed by the
\nestablishment of an open-air movie theater and a building for a
\nketoprak show (a Javanese drama depicting historical or pseudo-
\nhistorical events) in the compound, which took place every
\nevening.<\/p>\n
Other performances only took place in accordance with the
\npalace agenda, including Sedekah Rebutan (people grab the
\nofferings for the King), firecracker festivities, ludruk (East
\nJava folk theater) and dhoger (Central Java folk dance
\nperformance). All attractions were staged to entertain the people
\nat that time.<\/p>\n
However, 100 years after its establishment, Sriwedari has not
\nleft a trace of its former status as a venue to which Surakartans
\nflocked to enjoy entertainment and learn about the environment.
\nSeveral buildings inside the park have been damaged due to poor
\nmaintenance, not to mention the parceling off of land in the
\ncompound for business purposes by private companies.<\/p>\n
Chief of the palace officers Dipokusuma said the Surakarta
\nadministration had to decide what to do with Sriwedari, although
\nthe palace would prefer to return it to its function as a public
\npark.<\/p>\n
\"If Sriwedari is returned to its former function, then it must
\nbe accessible to the public. To fulfill its role as a public
\nplace, then it must be free of charge too.\"<\/p>\n
The solution is to turn three main elements -- Graha Wisata
\n(multifunction hall), the recreational park and restaurant Boga
\n-- into the main sources of financial support.<\/p>\n
\"Therefore, we need to forge good cooperation with the local
\nadministration, the palace and other parties to meet this
\nobjective,\" Dipokusuma said.<\/p>\n
Nowadays the Sriwedari compound is home to, among others, the
\nSurakarta Tourism Board office, Solo movie theater, a performing
\narts center, a food court, a stadium (the venue for the first
\nNational Games in September 1948) and the Radya Pustaka museum
\n(the oldest in Indonesia).<\/p>",
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