Water castle to be restored<\/p>\n
Sri Wahyuni and Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
Those who visit the Water Castle, or Tamansari, in Yogyakarta can
\nonly imagine its former beauty as much of this park of palaces,
\npools and waterways is in ruins.<\/p>\n
But, thanks to its inclusion among the World Monument Fund's
\n(WMF) 100 most endangered sites earlier this year, the park is
\nsoon to undergo a facelift.<\/p>\n
Restoration activities at the 12.6-hectare park started last
\nmonth and are expected to be finished by July 2004. While the
\nWater Castle once took up 25 hectares of land, much of this is
\nnow occupied by houses, batik galleries and businesses.<\/p>\n
Head of the Kraton Unit of the Yogyakarta Archeological
\nPreservation Agency (BPPP) Eko Hadiyanto said that no attempt
\nwould be made to reconstruct those buildings that had been
\ndestroyed. He explained that the idea was to restore the Water
\nCastle by developing the building or ruins that remained.<\/p>\n
The restoration project is a collaborative effort involving
\nthe Yogyakarta palace, the Calouste Gulbenklan Foundation of
\nPortugal, Gadjah Mada University's Center of Environmental
\nStudies in Yogyakarta, the provincial and municipal governments
\nof Yogyakarta, BPPP and the Jogja Heritage Society (JHS).<\/p>\n
The funds earmarked for the project amount to Rp 4.5 billion
\n(US$5.2 million). Some Rp 1.6 billion has been donated by the
\nCalouste Gulbenklan Foundation, and some Rp 900 million from the
\nprovincial Regional Infrastructure and Housing Office<\/p>\n
The Umbul Binangun complex, which consists of three swimming
\npools and two changing rooms, will be restored first. The basin
\nof the pools will be reinforced with concrete to prevent further
\ncracking, although the original structure and look will be
\nmaintained.<\/p>\n
The pools, which no one has swum in for years, will be filled
\nwith water once all work on the Water Castle is completed.<\/p>\n
"But, of course, they will fill the pools with water using
\nmodern technology," Laretna Adi Shakti of JHS told The Jakarta
\nPost.<\/p>\n
Leretna -- also a dedicated researcher of Tamansari's history
\n-- said that previously the nearby Winongo and Code rivers had
\nbeen damned, and the castle complex landscaped, so that the water
\nfrom the rivers flowed into the pools.<\/p>\n
The second stage of the restoration will be funded by the WMF
\nand include the restoration of the buildings known as Gapura
\nAgung, Gedong Sekawan, Gedong Temanten, and Gapura Panggung, at a
\ncost of some Rp 2 billion.<\/p>\n
"By my calculations, the restored buildings will account for
\nonly some 10 percent of the original size of the complex,"
\nLaretna, or Sita, as she is affectionately called, said.<\/p>\n
Tamansari, in Taman village, Kraton sub-district is located
\njust west of the Yogyakarta Palace.<\/p>\n
It was built between 1761 and 1765 as a gift from Sultan
\nHamengkubuwono I to his beloved queen for enduring the hardships
\nthat had accompanied the establishment of the kingdom. It was
\nconstructed with multi-functional purposes in mind.<\/p>\n
"It was a recreational place, a retreat, a shelter, a place
\nfor religious activities... the latest research on Tamansari
\nindicates that it was also used for farming to supply the palace
\nwith fresh produce," Sita said.<\/p>\n
An underground tunnel, known as Goa Siluman, was found in the
\ncomplex, along with meditation areas, a graveyard, recreational
\npools, places of worship, and evidence that there had once been
\nan artificial lake on the site for boating activities.<\/p>\n
An earthquake in 1865 and the eruption of Mount Merapi in 1867
\nwere responsible for much of the damage to the Water Castle.<\/p>\n
One location, called Taman Ledoksari, is thought to be the
\nplace where the sultan meditated and met with the queen of the
\nSouth Sea, Nyi Rara Kidul.<\/p>\n
Until now, there is a room in Ledoksari where people meditate
\non special dates of the Javanese calendar, such as Kliwon night
\nof Tuesday and Friday.<\/p>\n
Another place which is considered to be sacred is Sumur
\nGumuling, a shallow well beneath four Muslim prayer rooms.<\/p>\n
Sita, who is an architect, said that Tamansari was a
\nbeautiful, well-designed complex, The architects had also taken
\ninto consideration ventilation and a drainage system, she said.<\/p>\n
A mixture of Chinese, Portuguese, Islamic, and Javanese
\narchitectural styles, Tamansari was apparently a safe place to
\nhide during times of war. The complex is surrounded by
\n1.5-meter thick walls.<\/p>\n
Over the course of time, the site has been used for various
\npurposes such as for a traditional market, badminton court, and
\neven a garbage dump.<\/p>\n
This year marks a big step forward for the Water Palace.
\nSita said that good management was also important so that
\neventually the Water Palace would not run at a loss.<\/p>\n
With just a little creative effort, she continued, the
\nmanaging agency could promote Tamansari as a memorable place for
\nelegant wedding parties for the rich and famous, for example,
\n"Why not?" Sita laughed.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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