Surakarta fights to come out of Yogyakarta's shadow
Surakarta fights to come out of Yogyakarta's shadow
By Ardus M. Sawega
In conjunction with National Press Day today, The Jakarta Post
is publishing the following two stories: the first on the city of
Surakarta, and the second on the establishment of the Indonesian
Journalists Association 50 years ago.
SURAKARTA (JP): Surakarta, also known as Solo, reputed to live
in the shadow of neighboring Yogyakarta, has often been likened
to a female of generous disposition. Other comments were less
friendly, epitomizing Surakarta as a woman of loose morals. Quite
understandably, such remarks draw strong objections from
Surakartans.
One of these Surakartans is 78-year-old Gesang Martohartono,
who sprang to the defense of his hometown and the women of
Surakarta. "It is because we are too polite to refuse anything
outright."
Surakarta is an old city, whose origins date back 251 years.
Located in the south eastern part of Central Java, it has
developed a romantic image because of its legendary women known
for their regal beauty.
Long before Indonesia's independence, the city had been known
as a place of pleasure. Its reputation and its close vicinity to
the Surakarta Hadiningrat Palace attracted large numbers of out-
of-town visitors, mainly because the palace's background was
rooted in the history of Java's famed and influential kingdom,
the Mataram kingdom.
Surakarta was established on Feb. 17, 1745, on the banks of
Bengawan Surakarta River, which at the time represented the
center of the Surakarta sultanate. Its reign extended to the East
Java region, unlike its diminished role today, which limits it to
its immediate surroundings.
Surakarta used be a center of influence. Its products became
popular for trading with people from other regions.
Traditional cultural products, customs and habits, the
Javanese language, literature, art and even home industries like
batik, did not escape the influence of the Surakarta sultanate.
The concept of the Javanese culture, like Surakarta's art of
dancing, ranked as an outstanding culture, while lesser forms
stemmed from lower social levels outside Surakarta. Dances
reflecting the languid and gracious style of Surakarta became a
noble art.
During colonial times, the Surakarta sultanate led an
independent and respectful policy, although it never reached
special district status as Yogyakarta did.
The region bred a national movement, which sought shelter
under the sultan's authority at the time. First on the list of
national Surakarta heroes is Boedi Oetomo, who for years had his
headquarters in Surakarta. Other heroes are Dr. Radjiman
Wedyodiningrat, Colonel Slamet Riyadi and GPH Djatikusumo.
Organizations sprang up, including the Sarekat Dagang Islam
(Islam Trade Association) and later the Sarekat Islam (Islam
Association), which was established by batik traders in the
village Laweyan.
Another organization of repute, Muhammadiyah, experienced
rapid growth in the years after its establishment in Yogyakarta.
Recreation
Surakarta was one of the first places to have recreational
sites, which were not found in other regions at the time. Some of
the original public recreational areas are Kebon Raja Sriwedari
in the city center and Taman Balakembang, located in the northern
part of Surakarta.
Sriwedari, which was built at the onset of the 20th century,
enthralls visitors with its abundance of flowers and beautiful
landscaping. A manmade lake offers boating activities, while
visitors preferring the feel of land under their feet opt for a
stroll through the Kebon Raja Sriwedari's zoo instead.
Sriwedari offers many entertainment programs, including the
art of shadow play, which is recognized as one of the noble arts.
Another show available is a ketoprak (people's theater). A movie
theater, built in the 1930s, still screens films.
There are six theaters, aside from the one in the Sriwedari
garden complex, which have been faithfully operating since prewar
days. They are Sonoharsono, Scala (Dhady), Srikaton, Schoberg and
Alhambra. Before the independence war, most films shown were
Westerns and Indonesian films. During the war, the theaters
showed Japanese and Indonesian films at entry prices of 6 cents
to 12 cents.
At Sriwedari, the shows were constant, combining keroncong
music and Mataram comedies, which were staged by Ribut Rawit and
Srimulat, even during the war. Gesang confirmed that not once did
Surakarta fail to provide entertainment, not even when other
cities buckled under economic burdens.
In Surakarta, old and new types of entertainment from most
corners of Java can be viewed. Two of Sriwedari's traditions are
Pasar Malam (Evening Market) and the Sekaten (birthday of Prophet
Muhammad) festivities held in Alun-Alun Utara (North Park).
Festivities and entertainment are forever being held most of
the year, which has primarily been the reason for Surakarta's
image of an easy-going city. People have been living a relaxed
and unhurried life since the earliest days of the city.
Surakarta citizens know the true art of relaxing. In their
dialect they call it nglaras.
Several locations have become relaxation sites of Surakartans.
Tirtonadi Park, or Langenharjo, on the banks of Bengawan
Surakarta is one of the most popular of these sites. Here, people
can relax in the early morning over a breakfast of cooked rice
and a traditional side dish of gudeg (stewed jackfruit). In the
evenings, the menu changes to local snacks and drinks.
Change
Unfortunately, Surakarta could not halt the march of change,
which transformed it from an almost isolated town into a city
encroached upon by neighboring districts. No less than six
districts, Karesidenan Surakarta, Sukoharjo, Karanganyar,
Boyolali, Sragen, Klaten and Wonogiri, at distances of 15
kilometers to 30 kilometers, surround the old city.
Surakarta measures 44 square kilometers. Its official
population of 537,000 people swells during the day to two
million. This is caused by the city's daily commuting work force,
which lives in the neighboring areas.
Surakarta came out of a deep sleep 10 years ago. Development
under former mayor R. Hartomo began at a brisk tempo, even if
controversies in some sectors could not be avoided.
The city has benefited from several government programs. One
of them was Program Berseri, which made Surakarta a neat and
orderly city.
Roads were cleaned and improved. Slums were spruced up and
dirt roads winding between the cottages were paved. Environment
matters were high on the list of priorities.
Modernization can be observed in the construction of shopping
malls, a number of supermarkets and various restaurants serving
Western food. Despite the inroads foreign food seems to be making
in most of Indonesia, the majority of Surakartans still prefer
traditional fare.
Trade
One of the city's popular trading commodities is batik cloth.
This commodity has a daily turnover of Rp 8 billion (US$3.4
million) in the traditional market of Pasar Klewer, Surakarta's
stock center of clothes and batik.
Another large economic potential is foreign trade, which has
surpassed that of Semarang, the capital of Central Java, and that
of Yogyakarta.
In 1994, its combined exports of 4,417 tons of commodities
reached $29.7 million. The majority of these exports consisted of
textiles and textile products valued at $18.9 million, while
batik and batik garments earned an export value of $244,377.
Over the last 20 years, the Surakarta region and its
municipality has become a major center of the textile industry. A
total of 46 large textile industries are operating in the region,
including Sri Isman Textile (Sritex) in Sukoharjo, which is the
largest of its kind in Southeast Asia. Then follows Batik Keris,
Tyfountex (a foreign investment), Danar Hadi, Sari Warna, SSS and
Batik Semar, among others.
A few of these are integrated yarn and textile industries,
manufacturing basic materials, such as yarn for textiles,
progressing to textile products and garments. The Sritex Group is
planning such an industry. It plans to have its own cotton
spinning industry, which will free the company from importing
this basic material.
Other export income earner are plywood, processed woods,
plastic bags, furniture and shoes, which are exported to 55
countries, including the U.S., Japan, Mexico, Spain, the
Netherlands, England, France and Germany.
These economic developments have encouraged the banking world
to open up offices in Surakarta. There are 88 national banks
operating in Surakarta, with 1,015 branches and subbranches.
New investment records for the years 1994/1995 in the
Surakarta municipality have reached Rp 130.82 billion, with a
production value of Rp 272 billion. No records were available of
the total work force absorbed in the industrial sector of
Surakarta.
Although the tourist industry seems to be progressing at a
snail's pace, it is generally believed that by 1998 it could hold
a more hopeful future. In 1998, the Adisumarno airport is slated
to become an international airport.
The ongoing construction of the airport will extend the 1,950-
meter-long landing strip to 3,600 meters, to accommodate Boeing
747s.
Renovations are not limited to extending the landing strip.
Construction includes renewal of the apron and the terminal.
Also scheduled for construction by the government is the 60-
kilometer Surakarta-Yogyakarta toll road, in support of
Surakarta's international airport.
These preparations to boost tourism have sharpened the
industriously-minded among the Surakarta citizenry. Tourist sites
have already sprung up, offering package tours in the not too
distant future. A number of star-rated hotels are under
construction too.
The future toll road seems to be a source of worry to
Surakartans, though. Someone in the tourist trade said in a
doubtful tone, "Will foreign tourists really fly in droves to
Surakarta when the new airport is completed? Or will they opt for
the toll road trip from here to Yogya and stay there?"
It seems that the one thing Surakarta needs most is to come
out of the shadow of Yogyakarta.