Ancient Mataram palace now part of a village

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?