Ancient Mataram palace now part of a village

KOTAGEDE, Yogyakarta (JP): A well-looked-after historical legacy is hard to find in Indonesia. If, as a tourist, you are thinking of visiting the nation's important historical sites which are not only in good repair but have also become part of the contemporary life around them, Kotagede is a must.

Formerly the capital of Mataram Kingdom, a great kingdom from the time Islam began to enter Java in the 16th century, today Kotagede is simply a small sub-district town to the south-east of Yogyakarta. Kotagede is worth visiting because the historical legacy which reflects the grandeur of the Mataram Kingdom is left relatively intact.

It so happened that Sultan Hadiwijaya, the ruler of Pajang Sultanate, gave to Raden Danang Sutawijaya, the son of Ki Ageng Pemanahan, the Mataram area as a gift for defeating Ario Penangsang, the Tuban regent from East Java.

Under the rule of Danang, who in later years was known as Panembahan Senopati, Mataram grew into a great kingdom. This period also witnessed the rapid propagation of Islam on the island of Java.

Today, tourists can still visit the palace, which was built under Sutawijaya's command, in Dondongan village, some 300 meters to the south of Kotagede market. It may come as a surprise to find the palace among residential houses in the village.

Although the palace, which has witnessed the passage of great events in history, also follows the pace of life of the villagers, its imposing grace is still felt. The palace building is clearly a blend of Javanese and Hindu architectural design and its walls show a graceful and exotic arrangement of bricks.

The palace building is still guarded by high-ranking court servants, a job passed down from one generation to another over a span of more than four centuries.

A large mosque of Javanese architectural design stands in the center of the palace compound. This shows the great importance that the Mataram kings attached to Islam. In 1829, this mosque, with its characteristic traditional Javanese steep upper roof, was gutted by fire sparing only one column made of wooden chips. Fortunately, in the same year, Sri Susuhunan VII, the ruler of Kasunanan Solo, had the mosque re-built in its original design, which explains why this ancient palace and the mosque are guarded by high-ranking court servants from Yogyakarta Sultanate Palace and Kasunanan Surakarta.

From the west side of the mosque, one can pass through a tunnel leading to the cemetery of Mataram rulers and their relatives. This cemetery, surrounded by a robust yet graceful fort, extends from the south to the north in three interconnected complexes of graves.

The first complex of graves, or cungkup, is called Prabayasa, a place where the female relatives of the ruler, usually called kaputren were buried. The second cungkup is called Witana, or bangsang of the royal thrones and the third is known as Tanjungintan cungkup. Unfortunately, this ancient cemetery is not always open to the public. Only when the two Javanese palaces perform their traditional rites like Rajaban or Mauludan are the public allowed to enter.

Visitors, however, are not allowed to take any photographs of any part of this cemetery. Thanks to these three complexes of royal graves, in one of which Panembahan Senapati, the first Mataram king, lies buried, Kotagede has now become known as a museum town.

Apart from the royal cemetery, the Mataram palace also boasts the Sumber Kemuning, a pool located to the west of the cemetery. In bygone days, Mataram princes bathed here. To the south of this pool there are two smaller pools known as Sendang Keliran. Reportedly, a yellow turtle aged hundreds of years old lives here. Besides this turtle, Sendang Keliran also has a couple of catfish, one spotlessly white and the other striped, and a freshwater catfish which is so transparent that the bones from its head to its tail are clearly visible.

A high-ranking court servant, Ki Pujo Hastomo said, "The turtle and the strange fish were Panembahan Senapati's favorite pets. The apparition of this first ruler of Mataram is believed to frequently appear in Sendang Keliran. Many locals believe that if they are able to see one of the animals, they will have good fortune."

Are you intrigued?