Visit Prambanan Temple

Located about 20 kms east of Yogya, Prambanan temple is mainly dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva and features the other two gods of trimurti: Krishna and Brahma. The temple was established in 9th Century (almost at the same time as Borobudur temple) with the height of 149 m2.

To get to Prambanan temple, the closest city to reach is Yogya. The city is accessible by daily flight from major cities in Indonesia like Jakarta, Surabaya and Denpasar. From Yogya, you can either take a taxi or bus (Yogya-Solo), and the temple is situated right on the main street to Solo. The best time to visit Prambanan is in the morning (8-10 AM) or in the afternoon (3-6 PM) when the temperature is warm. In the evening, especially during the full moon, the temple hosts a dance performance taken from the epic Ramayana. The stage is located strategically so that the temple becomes the backdrop of the performance.

Loro Jonggrang complex was built in 10 century to the lure of Rakai. But there is the legend that says this temple was built by Bandung Bondowoso. When he will propose to married Loro Jonggrang, the daughter asks for the make 1000 temples in one night. In fact making temple failed, and only finished 999 temples, and then cursed Loro Jonggrang into the statue to the 1000 because he feel that Loro Jonggrang cheat him.

Prambanan temple is also have a relief that the Ramayana story. According to experts, relief is similar to the Ramayana story is revealed through oral tradition. Relief in the Kalpataru tree is interesting that in the Hindu religion is considered as a tree of life, sustainability and environmental suitability. In Prambanan, relief depicted the Kalpataru tree lion’s flank. The existence of this tree makes experts consider that the 9-century to have wisdom in managing the environment

Lebaran Topat in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara

Topat, more popular called as Ketupat, and Lebaran the meaning is celebration. Lebaran Topat, one of many famous traditional in Lombok. This tradition not only in Lombok, in other place of Indonesia, Java, Betawi, Bugis and others, have some tradition with different name. Lebaran Topat usually held at 7th Syawal in Arabic Calendar or After Idul Fitri.

Lebaran Topat Lebaran Topat is a cultural event relived to the Moslem religion in Lombok. It is held in the seventh day after Idul Fitri – the day of celebration at end of fasting month for Moslems. Lebaran Topat is the tradition to celebrate Lebaran and recreation by bringing topat, traditional food in Lombok, that is small packages of cooked rice wrapped in coconut leaves, with variety of side dishes including vegetables. Lebaran topat is held particularly in the West Lombok, started to pray for prosperity and happiness in the mosque, musholla, family grave yard and then followed by recreation a long coast line.

Ketupat is a type of dumpling from Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia made from rice that has been wrapped in a woven palm leaf pouch which is then boiled. As the rice cooks, the grains begin to expand to fill the pouch and the rice becomes compressed. This method of cooking gives the ketupat its characteristic form and texture of a rice dumpling.

Ketupat is usually eaten with rendang (a type of dry beef curry) or served as an accompaniment to satay. Ketupat is also traditionally served by Indonesians and Malays at open houses on festive occasions such as Idul Fitri (Hari Raya Aidilfitri). During Idul Fitri in Indonesia, ketupat is often served with chicken curry, accompanied with spicy soy powder.

There are many varieties of ketupat, with two of the more common ones being ketupat nasi and ketupat pulut. Ketupat nasi is made from white rice and is wrapped in a square shape with coconut palm leaves while ketupat pulut is made from glutinous rice is usually wrapped in a triangular shape using the leaves of the fan palm (Licuala). Ketupat pulut is also called “ketupat palas” in Malaysia.

In Indonesia, ketupat sometimes boiled in thin coconut milk and spices to enhance the taste.

Other Topat Stories

Perang Topat

Perang Topat (Rice-Cake War) is a ceremony which is performed in Lingsar Park by both Hindus and Sasaks. It is performed as an expression of gratitude to God for His blessing of fertile soil and plentiful agriculture produce. The two differing religious groups did this event once a year as they join together for a ceremony to welcome the beginning of the rainy season. The rice-cake war ceremony begins with each party worshipping in their respective temples.

They then congregate outside and start throwing small packages of cooked rice wrapped in coconut leaves, called topat or ketupat, at each other.

The show begins at 16.00 after Pedande Mapuja, when the Waru flowers fall (Rorok Kembang Waru). According to the Sasak calendar, the ceremony is usually held every year at the time of sixth full moon, some time in November or December.

SELAMAT MENUNAIKAN IBADAH PUASA

Source: Lombok Destinations

Dragon Boat Festival Tanjung Pinang

http://praguedragons.cz/en/content/prague-dragon-boat-club-introduces-traditional-indonesian-dragonboats

Mon, 31/08/2009 – 10:06 — jan.tomicek

New style of paddling on boats without benches and without drum brings new life into the dragonboat classics. Indonesian boats have wide sides where you can partly sit on and party you need to kneel with your knee close to the middle of the boat. Wooden paddles are long and narrow. And compared to classic paddles they are markedly heavier.

Boats themselves pride on their beautiful large dragon heads and tails. The hull of the boat is decorated by the scale pattern. This together makes the sailing boat look like a giant floating dragon.

Therefore riding an Indonesian dragonboat is like riding a real dragon!

Prague Dragon boat club obtained two traditional Indonesian dragonboats as a gift from the representatives of Tanjung Pinang City. This city is located on Indonesian Bintan island where every year in November a great dragonboat race is held. Boats were gifted to Prague Dragon Boat Club as a demonstration of friendship and also to give publicity to Tanjung Pinang dragonboat race and to propagate the rich and colorful Indonesian culture in Czech Republic and whole Europe.

Boats arrived to Czech republic at the beginning of august. The collection of the boats as an important event was filmed by the Czech television (czech nation wide TV station) The report about this event was broadcasted in the “Z metropole” programme (”From the metropolis” – programme with news and event from Prague the capital of Czech rep.) on the August 22nd.

This report can be seen in the internet archive.
http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/ivysilani/209411058230034-z-metropole/

Photographs from this event are now part of the club history and you can see them here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/praguedragons/TanjungpinangDragonBoatsArriva…

Indonesian boats will be for the first time introduced to public during the 5th annual Prague Dragon Autumn festival. They will be festively baptized and initiated to the club boat fleet during the Evening programme of the first festival day on Saturday, September 12th. On Sunday, 13th September they will be already part of the festival’s sport program. A special cup – a race for 250 meters on Indonesian boats will be held for teams who are interested. It will be the Zero year for this cup in our festival because the entering teams had no opportunity to train on this boats. Therefore this we be the first experience for people. It will be also probably the first race on Indonesian boats in whole Europe!

Next year our club will enable the possibility for the applicants to train and to practice on Indonesian boats regularly. And we will also organize 1st year of official race during the Autumn festival. The winner will get the nomination for the races in Tanjung Pinang city as the national representation of Czech republic.

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Prague Dragon Boat Club would like to thank kindly for the gracious gift to the major of Tanjung Pinang city – Ms. Suryatati A. Manan. We thank for the warm welcome in Indonesia, for the hospitality and for the mutual friendship. We would like to thank also to Mr. Sapril Sembiring for the invitation to Tanjung Pinang race and for arranging all necessary matters of making of the ship and their preparation to transfer. Our thanks goes also to the Tanjung Pinang Toursit and Culture office for their consenting position.

Our thanks belongs also to PELMI company (spedition, logistics, international transport) namely Ms. Mirka Švestková for fast, cheap and trouble-free container transport of the dragonboats.

Last but not least we would like to thank to the Embassy of Indonesian republic in Czech republic, to Mr. Azis Nurwahyudi and Gustaav R. Ferdinandus for their help with the boats delivery to Czech Republic.

Other photographs of indonesian boats and from Tanjung Pinang race can be found here:

Link to webgallery

Source: http://www.indonesia.cz/traditional-indonesian-dragon-boat-in-prague/

Bull and Buffalo Races in Madura

Bull Race or Indonesian say "KERAPAN SAPI" is a special race for the race animals cows. As a note, especially in the area on the island of Madura Kangean similar races there are competitions that use buffalo. Buffalo race is called mamajir and not bull race.


Bull Race that became characteristic of the Madura this actually consists of several kinds, namely:

1. Keni Race (Small Race)
This type of participants, followed only by those who came from one district only. In this category is the distance that must be applied only as long as 110 meters and was followed by a small bulls that have not been trained. Meanwhile, determines victory, besides speed, is also not straight or when a bull ran. For the bulls that could win the race, can follow the higher race again that is King of Race.

2. King of Race (Large Race)
The race is also called the country race is generally held in the capital district on Sunday. The length of the track about 120 meters, the participants are from the champion of Keni Race.

3. Onjangan Race (Invitation Race)
Onjangan race is the special invitation of the participants are from a district that to accomplish of race. This race usually held to commemorate the important day.

4. Karesidenen Race (The Race of District Level)
The large race is followed by a great many of the top-four districts in Madura. The race held in the Pamekasan city on Sunday, which is the peak of the event to end the season of race.

5. Jar-jaran Race (The exercise Race)
Jar-jaran race is made only to train bulls descended on the race before the actual race.

Before starting the race,all bull enter the field. Than use this opportunity to relax musculature cattle, is also an arena show beautiful clothes and decorations from the bulls to be competition. After the parade finished, all the clothes and decorations that start opened. Only clothing that does not interfere with the body movement of cattle are left still attached.

After that, immediately the first race to determine participants. As in the football game, in this phase the participants will set the strategy to be able to enter a bulls to groups in the "top" so that the next phase (elimination), can compete with the cattle from the race groups "under the board."

Next is the first elimination round, second, third and fourth or final phase. In this elimination round, the game used the fall out system. With other words, bulls that have been declared conquered, no longer be eligible to participate in the match the next round. Meanwhile, for the bulls as winner, will be faced again with the other winners of the match. So on until the last living one who is always victorious and became the campions.

Maduras most famous attraction is the annual bull racing (kerapan sapi), which takes place during the dry season in September and October. These exciting and colourful tournaments consist of a race between two pairs of bulls, each team pulling a rider and sled. Following a series of heats, which take place in different parts of the island for some weeks, the highlight of the season occurs when the finals are held in Pamekasan, Maduras capital. Recently a new bull racing stadium has been built in Bangkalan with the object of attracting more tourists to the island.



source: http://kepulauan-surga.blogspot.com/2009/03/bull-race-in-madura.html