New guidebook offers deep insights of Yogyakarta
Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta is home to hundreds of both historical and archaeological sites that might be of interest to adventurous travelers. But where they are or how to get there the easiest way is not easy in the absence of a guide book.
This issue motivated former director of Yogyakarta French Cultural Center Jean-Pascal Elbaz to write a book about the sites. And with the help of writer M. Rizky Sasono and artist/illustrator Agung "Leak" Kurniawan, Jean-Pascal, better known as Pascal, made his dream a reality.
For the book, they visited over 200 sites surrounding Yogyakarta, the nearby towns of Klaten, Muntilan and Magelang, and carried out some research. Cowriter Ferry Ardyanto was also recruited to prepare the Indonesian text while translator Sekar Paramita was responsible for the English translation. Jakarta-based publisher PT Enrique Indonesia was invited to publish the book.
Finally, the book, titled Situs-situs Marjinal Jogja, or Sanctuaires Retrouves Jogja (Jogja Sites on the Margins), was launched in late August, a day before Pascal left the country for a similar post in Madras, India. The book is written in Indonesian, French and English.
"There were so many sites here but I could not find a single book about them," said Pascal during the book launch.
Pascal first came up with the idea for writing the book some seven years back, when he went sightseeing around the city.
But although he had been assigned as CCF director in the city since September 1997, he started working on the book only two years ago. "I initially planned to write the book all by myself, but I found that very difficult," he said.
Looking through the 133-page book, one can find detailed information that will assist travelers to find particular sites more easily and comfortably, showing the result of careful and repeated field surveys.
Sites in the book are in five groups, based on location. The groups include sites at Ratu Boko Temple, Prambanan Temple, Borobudur Temple, and in towns -- Klaten and Yogyakarta.
"The book is aimed to guide those wanting to do sightseeing around Yogyakarta during their spare time, enjoying marginal sites, which add to the special atmosphere of the city's culture and history," Pascal said.
Moreover, the book does not only provide information on how to get to a destination or a description of the site, but also includes legends and myths surrounding each site.
For instance, the description of Ratu Boko temple complex, located some two kilometers south of renowned Prambanan temple includes a mythical story about a king who had the habit of eating human flesh.
"Myths are an important part of the book as they helped to form a relationship between sites and their surrounding communities, even showing connections between one site and others," Agung said.
Unlike ordinary guide books, which are full of glossy pictures, this one provides readers with colorful illustrations created by artist Agung Kurniawan. Some might find the illustrations attractive but others can also find them disturbing -- like an illustration of a headless figure wearing a costume of an early Javanese trooper to enrich the legend about the old town of Kota Gede.
"We prefer to use illustrations because they are capable of capturing people's wild imagination about the sites while telling more of the sites' mythological aspects. That way the book will encourage and provoke people to visit the sites," Agung said.
In the process of creating the book, more than 200 sites were visited but only some 40 of them, which they found more attractive and interesting, found their way into the book. "Some of the remainder no longer exist, leaving nothing but abandoned sign boards," Pascal said.