Dirgantara statue scrubbing completed
Dirgantara statue scrubbing completed
JAKARTA (JP): The cleaning of the gigantic Dirgantara statue, located at the Pancoran cross-section in South Jakarta, was completed on Sunday, thanks to the financial support of a local businessman.
Michael Chandra, whose Beverly Hills cafe on the fifth floor of the BII building overlooks the 38-meter-high monument, said funding the Rp 50 (US$ 21,739) project brought him no financial return but a great sense of pride.
"It's the money well spent taking into consideration the historical value of the statue," he told The Jakarta Post on Friday. He pointed out that it is probably the first ever in the country that the government is cooperating with a private sector in what he called "a non-profitable cultural field."
Chandra said the idea of taking part in the cleaning project came one morning when he looked at the statue through his cafe's window and noticed how dirty it was.
The operation is being undertaken by Chandra in cooperation with city administration officials, the Indonesian Air Force and members of the Aryacala nature lover students group of the Trisakti University.
The statue, which is made of bronze, is polished with menoxcile, a liquid that makes it shiny, while the curved base has been polished with a special liquid to prevent moss and fungi growing on it.
It was built in 1963 by Edhi Sunarso, an artist from Yogyakarta, on the orders of the country's first president Sukarno.
According to an unconfirmed report, the late president, known for his penchant for unique and novel things, sold his private car to finance the construction of the statue. The monument was later given to the Air Force.
It represents Gatotkaca, a legendary hero in the Mahabrata epic who was endowed with an ability to fly, and symbolizes the strength of the Indonesian Air Force to conquer Dirgantara (aerospace).
Edi Surya, in charge of the team of 15 cleaners, said the project is more difficult than other similar projects because of the curved supporting pillar. (04)