Kraton festival boosts tourism but fails to help palaces
The week-long National Royal Palace Festival, which involved 20 palaces from all over Indonesia, has just ended. Behind the glamor of the festival, the kratons are actually facing various problems, which have yet to be solved. The Jakarta Post correspondent, R. Fadjri, looks into the matter in the following article. Photographer IGN Oka B. Yogaswara records this event in a series of pictures.
SURAKARTA (JP): The court of the Kraton Surakarta suddenly seemed changed into an arena for the preparation of soldiers going into the battlefield as some 3,000 people, dressed in traditional soldier attire, joined a parade marking the opening of the first National Royal Palace Festival in Surakarta, Central Java, on July 1, 1995.
The kraton (palace) square, usually frequented by souvenir vendors and tourists, changed into a sea of colors, from kraton soldiers' war outfits to the myriad of colors from the flags of grandeur of each kraton. The troops were armed with 17th century rifles, keris (dagger), arrows and spears. There were also the music corps, with drums, flutes and cymbals, as well as the royal carriages, which were built during the time of the Dutch colonial government.
Commander of the parade, GBPH Kusumoyudo, son of Sri Susuhan Pakubuwono XII (king of Kraton Surakarta) presented a dashing figure, riding a chestnut horse in the foremost rank. The procession started with soldiers from Yogyakarta's kraton, followed by a 111-year-old carriage carrying three princes, including GBPH Prabukusumo, son of the late Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX.
On the stage of honor, Coordinating Minister of Industry and Trade Hartarto, accompanied by Minister of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications Joop Ave and Central Java Governor Soewardi, smiled while waving his arms in acknowledgement of the expressions of honor from each rank of kraton troops.
Behind the three government officials, four rulers of palaces in Java were sitting quietly: Sultan Hamengkubuwono X of the Yogyakarta kraton, Pakualam VIII of the Pakualam palace in Yogyakarta, Sri Susuhan Pakubuwono XII of the Surakarta kraton, and Mangkunegaro IX of the Mangkunegaran palace in Surakarta.
However, there seemed to be something strange in the expression of the kraton rulers as they watched the parade. There was not the smallest hint of a smile, or expression of joy on their faces. There was an impression of royal authority but also one of being number two in this festival, which involved 20 participating palaces from 13 provinces.
It is noteworthy that the organizer of the festival was the Central Java Regional Government, not the kraton themselves, as was the case at the time of the kraton festival in Yogyakarta and Surakarta in 1991, when only four kraton of Central Java and Yogyakarta participated. In the current festival the different kraton were no more than objects, not the subjects.
"I am proud to see the event of the Indonesian kraton festival," said Hartarto at the opening of the festival. According to Hartarto, this festival formed a tourism potential that could play a role of stimulator in development. In this he is quite right because after the kingdoms lost their political, social and economic powers, following the establishment of the Republic of Indonesia, they became centers of local culture only. Various political upheavals increasingly reduced the position of the kraton amid the communities of this republic down to a minimum position, that of a tourism attraction.
Even as a tourist attraction, the continuous life of the majority of kraton is threatened. Look at the Surakarta kraton. From the kraton square we see the Pagelaran (performance of shows) building, which strongly gives the impression of an ancient, time-worn, dilapidated construction. Its painted wood does not seem to be the original color and its tin roofs are rusty. "The kraton has not been renovated since 1950," KRMH Wreksodipuro, sasonoprabu (household deputy chief), said. Renovation work, or more precisely, reconstruction had to be undertaken due to a fire, which destroyed the greater part of the kraton building in 1985. Even then, not all the kraton buildings could be reconstructed because there were no funds.
It is understandable that Kraton Surakarta has so far not been able to reconstruct the remainder of the burned buildings because it has problems with its overhead costs. "We do not have our own funds to keep the kraton going," GRAJ Koes Moertiyah, one of the daughters of Sri Susuhan Pakubuwono XII, said. According to Gusti Mung, the name by which she is locally known, the government only allocates Rp 6.7 million a month, which is only sufficient to pay the salaries of 600 abdi dalem (kraton personnel). Despite these restraints the Surakarta kraton, as a center of Javanese culture, is obliged to organize a number of traditional ceremonies, which need financing. The annual parade to commemorate the Javanese New Year, for example, needs at least Rp 20 million. For the Sasono Sewoko ceremonies, which is the opening and closing of the ceremony building's four pillars, which are shrouded in yellow cloth, an amount of Rp 75,000 is required to buy offerings.
Chronic
If, subsequently, the kraton was given the responsibility to conserve and develop culture, the funds for the purpose are also very limited. For art activities along, expenses run to at least Rp 20 million annually. "The financial problems of the kraton are very chronic," Koes Moertiyah said. However, she added that the kraton is not giving up without a fight. To the best of their ability, many efforts have been made by the kraton people to meet its needs. Occasionally some kraton people, who have succeeded in their businesses in Jakarta have given contributions to the kraton.
Even, possibly out of despair, Pakubuwono XII allowed the private sector to set up a hotel in the enclosure of the Surakarta kraton although the Keputren (royal female quarters) building had to be demolished to make way for the hotel. This case was opposed vehemently by Koes Moertiyah, who later got the nickname of Rebel Princess because she was against her father's decision.
The same fate befell the Mangkunegaran palace, also located in Surakarta. "When it rains, the Mangkunegaran palace is no different from other people's houses, which leak in many places," KRMTH Darmo Tirtonoto, the Pengageng Kadipaten Mondroguro (officer for palace affairs), said. This sorrowful condition is caused by none other than the minimum funds made available. At one time, the Mangkunegaran palace could not even pay electricity bills amounting to Rp 36 million. The government gives monthly aid of Rp 3 million. Apart from the clearly insufficient amount, the aid is meant as compensation for the takeover of two sugar mills, belonging to the Mangkunegaran palace, by the Indonesian government in 1946: the Colomadu and Tasikmadu sugar mills.
These two companies formed the economic backbone of the Mangkunegaran palace. Separate from the Surakarta kraton, the Mangkunegaran palace enjoyed great welfare when it owned the two sugar mills. "If only the government would return the two sugar mills, there would be no problem of funds," Darmo Tirtonoto said. Moreover, Mangkunegaran palace possessions, in the form of houses and land, were also taken over by the government. However, the government, through a Presidential Decree dated February 6, 1991, restored the possessions and paid an indemnity of Rp 3 billion for the use of them.
The funds were deposited, at an annual interest rate of about Rp 600 million, on behalf of the Suryosumirat Foundation, a foundation established by the Mangkunegaran people. Unfortunately, because of internal conflict occurring between the foundation and Mangkunegoro IX, funds, which were usually received by the Mangkunegaran palace from interest received from the deposits, do not come regularly now.
"Being in possession of the money, they want to arrange everything," Darmo Tirtonoto said. To this day, the conflict has remains unsolved.
Efforts were once made to obtain funds through Hotel Mangkunegaran, which was erected in front of the Mangkunegaran palace in 1975. But this two-star hotel has not been operational the last three years, although it has not officially been declared bankrupt.
If the kratons of Java have undergone such a sad fate, what about the ones outside Java? The Sultanate of Ternate, has been converted into a museum, which is managed by the Tourism Office of the Maluku province. Palace members are appointed as government officials to manage the palace. However, government funds remain very minimal. "We have to beg to acquire funds," Talabudin Jusuf, one of the palace inhabitants, said.
The Maimun palace, belonging to the Sultan of Deli in Medan, North Sumatra, also faces similar problems. The former colony of the Siak Indragiri kingdom gives the appearance of neglected historical remains. People often see grass growing knee-high in front of the palace. The palace, which, for the greater part, is made of wood shows much decay. There are not sufficient funds for restoration.
Special region
According to M.T. Arifin, an observer of culture, residing in Surakarta, the current decline of kraton life is related to the uprooting of the autonomy of the kingdoms at the time of Indonesia's independence.
The one exception is the kraton of Yogyakarta. Although Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX did not retain political sovereignty, as a king, thanks to the political relations of the former ruler of the Yogyakarta kraton with the national government, Yogyakarta became a special region led directly by Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX as governor, and Pakualam VIII as deputy governor, so that, according to Arifin, the present sad story of kraton life has not been experienced to a great extent by the kraton of Yogyakarta.
The political relations of the late Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX, with the national government, which gained its independence in 1945, has made the Yogyakarta kraton, until now, a kraton that is somewhat exempt from the classical problems of former kingdoms. Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX succeeded in building economic forces with a better management of internal conflicts, so that the available potential can still be put to the advantage of managing the Yogyakarta kraton.
The Sultan's political role, which saw him in the political elite, from that of Defense Minister during the Old Order to that of Vice President during the New Order, has accorded the Yogyakarta kraton a political image not known by the other kraton.
This image and "fortune" has been bequeathed to Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, who had previously been in business and trained in the political world. It is not yet clear if he can take the place of his father, as Governor of the Special Region of Yogyakarta, which was a prerogative of Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX and Pakualam VIII, but Sultan Hamengkubuwono X did start his political career from the bottom and is now Chairman I of Golkar's Regional Leadership Board in Yogyakarta.
In the business world, apart from owning a number of companies which readily yield profits, Sultan Hamengkubuwono X is chairman of the Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Yogyakarta.
Other kratons did not receive these conditions when they no longer had political and economic sovereignty of their territory. In Dutch colonial times, despite the limitation of the sovereignty, each kraton, with its political and economic authority, still managed to meet its requirements. For example, Mangkunegoro I established Pasar Legi, also known as Pasar Pamutihan, a market for Chinese traders, on the condition that they gave financial aid to the cultural and religious institutes in the Mangkunegaran circle.
With the revocation of their autonomous status, and many kraton assets taken over by the government, the kratons have lost everything. Although the kratons have finally been conserved, without economic access, they cannot possibly carry out their remaining functions.
However, Arifin said, continuous injection of funds would not be educational. "The kraton should not be given fish but fishing gear," he added. This can be done by returning kraton assets, now in government hands, as has been done with the Mangkunegaran palace, or by giving the kraton prospective company shares. Nevertheless, all those gifts are of no avail if the kraton do not take care of themselves, with special attention given to a change in the mental attitude of kraton members. Because, Arifin said, the Mangkunegaran palace case has proven that although the palace has regained its rights and obtained fresh funds from the government, internal conflicts, as a result of intergroup rivalries, have brought chaos to kraton life.
Also the community has started changing its opinion of the kraton, not only because of the weak economy of the kraton, but also because of improper behavior by some kraton members. During the Kraton Festival, for example, a member of the Surakarta royal family scolded an employee with rude words, in front of kraton visitors. According to Arifin, such behavior has more or less reduced the kraton charisma.
The kraton must change and must be more clever in facing present challenges. Otherwise the kraton will become a memory of the past. There will be no need for Gusti Mung to say, "My heart breaks to see representatives of kraton throughout the country come to Surakarta with the sole purpose of showing that they still exist." This was a statement of despair and frustration, from a palace member, seeing the sad fate of a culture threatened with extinction.