Klewer market polishes its image

Klewer market polishes its image

Kartika Bagus C., The Jakarta Post, Surakarta, Central Java

It is dawn but in the heart of Surakarta, Central Java, the
business day is well under way.

One by one traders open their kiosks in Klewer market, while
porters busily lug stacks of fabric outside the market, believed
to be the largest textile market in Central Java.

Klewer is inseparable part of the city, playing an important
role in the lives of many of the town's over 500,000 residents.

With an estimated turnover of Rp 7 billion daily -- according
to a recent survey conducted by the local branch of Bank
Indonesia of 11 bank branches located in the market complex --
Klewer might be the second biggest textile market in the country,
after Tanah Abang in Central Jakarta.

According to the head of Klewer's vendor association, Hafidz
Safari, 50, the market is known throughout the province.

In fact, he said, some 70 percent of visitors and buyers at
the market came from outside of Surakarta, especially from
eastern parts of Indonesia like East Nusa Tenggara and
Kalimantan.

Klewer's popularity, he said, was the result of its particular
character, which could not be found in other traditional markets
in Indonesia. Klewer is a treasure trove of batik -- from
handmade batik to modern printed cloth, and lurik, the
traditional Javanese striped woven cloth.

Prices are also far cheaper than in other markets. Printed
batik, for instance, is sold for between Rp 20,000 and Rp
100,000, while lurik is sold for Rp 10,000 to Rp 15,000. Handmade
batik, however, is more expensive, from Rp 500,000 up, depending
on the kind of cloth used, either modest mori (unbleached plain
cloth) or silk.

If everything goes as expected, soon Klewer market -- built on
13,461,68 square meters of land in the 1970s and home to 2,064
registered traders -- might not only be a center for batik, but
could also become a tourist spot. The market is strategically
located, near the Surakarta Palace complex and Agung Mosque.

The head of Surakarta's market agency, Triyanto, said the
palace, mosque and market had become the main trademarks of the
town.

"From our experience, tourists visiting the palace will
certainly drop by at the mosque and then go on to Klewer. The
three places have become one," Triyanto said.

Soon, as part of a plan to improve the town's image and
attract more tourists, a guide book of the town and its tourist
spots is being prepared. The administration is also considering
working with travel agents to promote the town.

Triyanto stressed the need to improve Klewer market's image
and looks in order to improve the comfort of visitors.

"The mushrooming number of sidewalk vendors and parking
problems are daily matters that should be dealt with immediately
or the area won't become an ideal tourist site," he said.