Water castle to be restored

Water castle to be restored

Sri Wahyuni and Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta

Those who visit the Water Castle, or Tamansari, in Yogyakarta can
only imagine its former beauty as much of this park of palaces,
pools and waterways is in ruins.

But, thanks to its inclusion among the World Monument Fund's
(WMF) 100 most endangered sites earlier this year, the park is
soon to undergo a facelift.

Restoration activities at the 12.6-hectare park started last
month and are expected to be finished by July 2004. While the
Water Castle once took up 25 hectares of land, much of this is
now occupied by houses, batik galleries and businesses.

Head of the Kraton Unit of the Yogyakarta Archeological
Preservation Agency (BPPP) Eko Hadiyanto said that no attempt
would be made to reconstruct those buildings that had been
destroyed. He explained that the idea was to restore the Water
Castle by developing the building or ruins that remained.

The restoration project is a collaborative effort involving
the Yogyakarta palace, the Calouste Gulbenklan Foundation of
Portugal, Gadjah Mada University's Center of Environmental
Studies in Yogyakarta, the provincial and municipal governments
of Yogyakarta, BPPP and the Jogja Heritage Society (JHS).

The funds earmarked for the project amount to Rp 4.5 billion
(US$5.2 million). Some Rp 1.6 billion has been donated by the
Calouste Gulbenklan Foundation, and some Rp 900 million from the
provincial Regional Infrastructure and Housing Office

The Umbul Binangun complex, which consists of three swimming
pools and two changing rooms, will be restored first. The basin
of the pools will be reinforced with concrete to prevent further
cracking, although the original structure and look will be
maintained.

The pools, which no one has swum in for years, will be filled
with water once all work on the Water Castle is completed.

"But, of course, they will fill the pools with water using
modern technology," Laretna Adi Shakti of JHS told The Jakarta
Post.

Leretna -- also a dedicated researcher of Tamansari's history
-- said that previously the nearby Winongo and Code rivers had
been damned, and the castle complex landscaped, so that the water
from the rivers flowed into the pools.

The second stage of the restoration will be funded by the WMF
and include the restoration of the buildings known as Gapura
Agung, Gedong Sekawan, Gedong Temanten, and Gapura Panggung, at a
cost of some Rp 2 billion.

"By my calculations, the restored buildings will account for
only some 10 percent of the original size of the complex,"
Laretna, or Sita, as she is affectionately called, said.

Tamansari, in Taman village, Kraton sub-district is located
just west of the Yogyakarta Palace.

It was built between 1761 and 1765 as a gift from Sultan
Hamengkubuwono I to his beloved queen for enduring the hardships
that had accompanied the establishment of the kingdom. It was
constructed with multi-functional purposes in mind.

"It was a recreational place, a retreat, a shelter, a place
for religious activities... the latest research on Tamansari
indicates that it was also used for farming to supply the palace
with fresh produce," Sita said.

An underground tunnel, known as Goa Siluman, was found in the
complex, along with meditation areas, a graveyard, recreational
pools, places of worship, and evidence that there had once been
an artificial lake on the site for boating activities.

An earthquake in 1865 and the eruption of Mount Merapi in 1867
were responsible for much of the damage to the Water Castle.

One location, called Taman Ledoksari, is thought to be the
place where the sultan meditated and met with the queen of the
South Sea, Nyi Rara Kidul.

Until now, there is a room in Ledoksari where people meditate
on special dates of the Javanese calendar, such as Kliwon night
of Tuesday and Friday.

Another place which is considered to be sacred is Sumur
Gumuling, a shallow well beneath four Muslim prayer rooms.

Sita, who is an architect, said that Tamansari was a
beautiful, well-designed complex, The architects had also taken
into consideration ventilation and a drainage system, she said.

A mixture of Chinese, Portuguese, Islamic, and Javanese
architectural styles, Tamansari was apparently a safe place to
hide during times of war. The complex is surrounded by
1.5-meter thick walls.

Over the course of time, the site has been used for various
purposes such as for a traditional market, badminton court, and
even a garbage dump.

This year marks a big step forward for the Water Palace.
Sita said that good management was also important so that
eventually the Water Palace would not run at a loss.

With just a little creative effort, she continued, the
managing agency could promote Tamansari as a memorable place for
elegant wedding parties for the rich and famous, for example,
"Why not?" Sita laughed.