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10 Famous Buddhist Temple in The World

Buddhism takes as its goal the escape from suffering and from the cycle of rebirth: the attainment of nirvana. There are between 230 million and 500 million Buddhists worldwide. An overview of the most famous Buddhist temples in the world.

Dragon Village at Tasikmalaya, West Java

If you are tired of life in a metropolitan city with its sky scrapers, you should take a few days off to stay in the Dragon village within Neglasari village, Salawu sub-district, Tasikmalaya, West Java. This 1.5 hectares village is still 'green' and not influenced by modernization..

Exotic Dieng Plateau

The name ‘dieng’ which literally translates as ‘abode of the Gods’ says all you need to know about this collection small ancient temples set in the remarkable volcanic landscape of the Dieng Plateau.

Living in the shadow of Indonesia's volcanoes

All hell is about to break loose, but Udi, a 60-year-old farmer from the village of Kinarejo on the Indonesian island of Java, will not budge. Not even though a mere three miles (five kilometers) separates the smoldering peak of Mount Merapi from Kinarejo.

National Geographic : Merapi Eruption

Nationalgeographic.com Smoke rises Monday from Indonesia's Mount Merapi, one of the world's most volatile and dangerous volcanoes.

December 23, 2009

The Great Wall of Bromo

Text and Photos by Teguh Sudarisman

There's no such thing as a bad day to visit Bromo. Even when it's cloudy and raining, it displays another side of its beauty.

bromo

Since mid-day yesterday, even before we set foot in Ngadas village, heavy rain, strong winds and fog have been here to greet us. The trees seem like black shadows wreathed in white fog, as do the terraced rice fields on either side of the village road.

"When the weather is clear, the view here is magnificent," says Purnawan, a lecturer and researcher on the Tengger community, who is accompanying us to Ngadas.

Our destination is Segara Wedi Anakan – the upper "sea of sand" – located to the south of and–next to Bromo's crater. Until recently, most people only knew about the sea of sand below Mount Bromo. Ngadas (2,140 meters above sea level), the highest inhabited village in Java and located within Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park, is our base camp.

This very morning, we canceled our plan to see the sunrise over Bromo from the south, because of the relentless rain and fog. Our plan to find Segara Wedi Anakan also seems rather uncertain. And the weather has been like this for ten days now. Some of the villagers on the west slope of the Tengger Range have resumed their activities, but most are wrapped in sarongs and shivering with cold – which seems odd to me, since they've lived here for generations.

Someone suggests that we pay a visit to Pak Ngatrulin, the dukun (traditional leader) of Desa Ngadas. "Why not request help from Pak Untung, the local pawang hujan (rain control expert)?" he advised us. When we ask Pak Mulyadi, former village head of Ngadas, park ranger, and the owner of the house where we are staying, he takes us there.

Pak Untung is sleeping when we arrive. He grumbles when his wife awakens him. "If you need help now, why didn't you tell me yesterday?" He's a big guy, with a fierce face and hair, rather intimidating; we say nothing. But he doesn't seem angry. He brings out his cigarettes and squats out in the front yard; we see his mouth uttering a mantra, and his eyes staring far off into the sky. The ritual ends after about five minutes.

He doesn't object when Pak Mulyadi asks him to bring out his "pets" – masks of a tiger, white leopard, cow, white ape, and buffalo, and a–kuda lumping (flat horse image) and its whip. Pak Untung is a pawang of Bantengan, a traditional Tenggerese art form. He tells us that each mask has a penunggu (inhabiting spirit) which needs to be regularly fed with incense and various offerings, so that whoever wears it is not possessed.

bromo

It's still cloudy when the five of us set out for Gunung Bromo. Apart from myself, Arif the photographer, Purnawan, and Pak Mulyadi, we have hired as our guide Pak Puliono, a native Tenggerese who spends his days gathering wild mushrooms and medicinal plants in the Tengger Mountains. Only he knows the route to Segara Wedi Anakan.

As soon as we set out down the hill, the weather clears; the grassy plains in the valley between Gunung Kursi and Gunung Jantur start to show green, and the small hills below, often called the "Teletubbies", are bathed in golden sunlight. We can clearly see the concrete road through the fields, which later becomes a dirt road heading toward the lower sand dunes. "Hmm, it seems Pak Untung does have the power," Arif chuckles.

Though the summit of Mount Jantur is still blanketed with fog, the landscape here is truly extraordinary. The mountain is composed of vertical layers of stone. In contrast, Mount Kursi, with its long, flat summit, is covered with knee-high elephant grass and ferns, fennel plants with yellow flowers, purple-flowered trasinan, and occasionally tiny edelweiss.

"Why don't we just climb Gunung Kursi? Isn't Segara Wedi Anakan behind this mountain?" I ask. Pak Puliono shakes his head.""The route from here is too far and too steep, and on the other side of this mountain, we'd have to climb another. It's much easier to take the Bromo stairs." I look again at my Google Earth printout of Bromo, and he's right.

The four-wheel-drive Jeep driven by Pak Mulyadi cuts through the grassy fields, follows a sandy road with the odd rain puddle, and finally comes to a plain entirely covered in sand; the lower sea of sand. We see Bromo emitting white, sulfurous smoke to our left, and the hills below it covered in a silvery color – ash from the recent eruption.

The weather turns overcast again, and fog and sulfurous fumes from the crater greet us when we arrive at the bottom of the natural stairway to the peak of Bromo (elev. 2,229 meters).

We're all coughing; we cover our mouths with handkerchiefs, which unfortunately don't help much, because if you breathe through your mouth, the fumes still get in and make you cough. We climb the stairs – it is said there are 249 of them – and we see who we have left behind: Purnawan. Although he regularly visits Tengger for research, it seems breathing sulfur fumes is a new experience for him.

When we get to the top of the stairway at the rim of the crater, we take the route to the left. "You can also turn right, but the terrain is more difficult," says Puliono, now 53, who has been exploring Tengger since he was 17.

bromo

We walk along the crater rim. The right side has a fence, but the left is an open ravine. Visibility is only about ten meters, and the crater rim itself is only two or three meters wide, so we have to walk very cautiously. Pak Puliono is in the lead, I'm right behind him, then Arif, Purnawan, and Pak Mulyadi taking up the rear. Pak Puliono strides quickly ahead of us; several times I have to shout to him to wait up.

After walking only about 50 meters, I stop suddenly. The fence along our right has just ended, and the completely fenceless path ahead of me vanishes in the fog. So should I keep going or not? There's also a strong wind from the right. I wait and shout "woooii" several times. I hear a reply from behind me, and then they emerge from the mists. We can faintly see Pak Puliono in the distance, carrying our supplies on a pole across his shoulders.

So we continue walking slowly along the crater rim. Breathing becomes more difficult, as we're climbing a small hill and the sulfur fumes are still bothering us. The wind and fog bring an occasional drizzle, and we have to keep shouting to each other whenever we get separated in the thick fog. Despite my anxiety, I think how great is God, who created this Tengger caldera. Probably if the weather were clear, we would get a much nicer view from here. But even in these foggy conditions, the seemingly endless trail, the crater, and the ravine cloaked in silver present a stunning panorama. '"It feels like we're walking on top of the Great Wall of China," says Arif.

Then the wind helps us; the smell of the sulfur fumes suddenly vanishes, as does the thick fog covering the trail. On our right stretches the vast crater of Bromo, with many fissures emitting white sulfurous smoke.

We climb again, stopping frequently to drink and catch our breath. Purnawan, holding his knees, groans, "Is it much farther?" Pak Puliono, who hasn't even taken a sip of water the whole time, simply smiles. "It's close, just one more hill."

Well, what's "close" for him is far for us, and this last hill is the highest yet. We get split up, and Purnawan falls behind. Puliono is calmly squatting at the summit, watching us climb up one by one. "Come on, this is the last safe spot!" he shouts from above.

"After that?" Arif asks.

"Not safe any more. Hahaha!"

bromo

Eventually, we all gather at the highest peak (elev. 2,354 meters), a three-way junction. From here, there's a path on the left that rises slightly, and one to the right that's a sharp descent. It starts to drizzle again and we all put on our raincoats. But which way is Segara Wedi Anakan? "Over there, below us," says Pak Puliono, pointing to a wide valley before us, completely white with fog. "All we do now is go down to the right, just about one more kilometer."

We're flabbergasted. Going down shouldn't be too bad, but coming up again? And with this rain and fog, will we even be able to see the sea of sand?

The rain and wind get stronger, and we decide that this is far enough. "At least we now know the way to the upper sea of sand," Purnawan says to console me. And we have to proceed very carefully on our walk back down, with the rain beating on our backs.

Getting to Bromo from Malang
The Malang-Tumpang-Gubugklakah-Ngadas-Bromo route is an option worth trying. It's more challenging, but also more interesting than the Surabaya-Pasuruan-Wonokitri-Bromo route or the Surabaya-Probolinggo-Sukapura-Cemara Lawang-Bromo route.

From Ngadas, we enter the Bromo area from the south. From Ngadas, you can also head toward Ranupani, the gateway for climbing Gunung Semeru from the north. The road to Ngadas and Bromo is poured concrete, and requires a four-wheel-drive vehicle with an experienced driver. It's recommended to get a local Tengger resident to drive, or try to find a driver in Tumpang. Contact Purnawan (0341-5406678, purnawan_dn@yahoo.co.id) or Mulyadi Bromo Putro (0341-9731001).

Garuda flies to Surabaya 108 times a week.


Source: Garuda Indonesia Magazine

Foreign Tourists from Australia reached 417.7 thousand, growing 24.88%

Foreign tourists (tourists) an Australian who visited Indonesia in January to October 2009 were recorded as many as 417,785 people or experienced 24.88% growth compared to the same period last year. Wisman from Australia still chose Bali as their favorite destinations.

Management Center and Data Network System (P2DSJ) Depbudpar, Tuesday (1 / 12) mentions, an Australian foreign tourists, France, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and China who visited Indonesia in the period January-October 2009 experienced a significant increase in the average in the double digits.

Recorded the number of French tourists visiting as many as 132,273 people or 31.72% increase, while foreign tourists nationals of Saudi Arabia up 44,345 people or 17.49%.

Foreign tourists to visit United Arab Emirates nationals as many as 3156 people or up 30.36% and foreign tourists of 296,546 Chinese nationals or increased 21.44%. Visits of foreign tourists from the five major markets in the next two months, November-December 2009, showed increasing trends. (Pusformas)

Contest: Making Your Own Indonesia Trip – Winners Announcement

We proudly announce the winners for the "Contest: Making Your Own Indonesia Trip." We thank you for your participation and feedback.

1. Hoky Ajicahyadi "Magnificent East Javali Route" as the winner of Amazing Indonesia under US$ 1,000 category

2. Lomar Dasika "Sulawesi Selatan Tiada Duanya" as the winner of Wisata Impian di bawah Rp. 10 juta category

3. Johan Sobihan "Jelajah Ujung Barat Ujung Jawa-TN Ujung Kulon" as the winner of Most Active Users category

The winner of the "Contest: Making Your Own Indonesia Trip" will receive a free trip around Indonesia (already designed by themselves) and grab merchandise from indonesia.travel.

Congratulations to all winners, you have done a great job and for all of you who have not won this time, don’t be disappointed as all of you have done tremendously great job in planning your own trip to Indonesia and of course there would always be next time.

Thank you so much for judges for sparing their valuable time for judging this event. See you on the next event!


Congratulations...!!!

source: visit Indonesia

December 19, 2009

Muara Angke Wildlife Reserve “It’s Hard to Imagine...”

Text by Virgina Veryastuti Photos by Jan Dekker

Birds chirping, dense growths of mangrove and pedada trees swarming with long-tailed monkeys – it's hard to imagine that all this can still be found in Jakarta, but it is, at the Muara Angke Wildlife Reserve in North Jakarta.

Passing through the mangrove forest by way of a small bridge.Entering the wildlife reserve, I was greeted by birds calling to one another from the mangrove and pedada trees. They seemed to be welcoming our arrival with the sounds of nature. It was all so peaceful and pleasant.

The Muara Angke Wildlife Reserve (Suaka Margasatwa Muara Angke, SMMA) is a small conservation area of mangrove forests on the north coast of Jakarta. It was originally established by the Netherlands Indies government as a nature preserve on 17 June 1939 with an area of 15.04 ha, and later expanded to 1,344.62 ha in the 1960s.

Unfortunately, steadily increasing environmental pressures from both within and outside the Muara Angke area have damaged much of the reserve. Therefore, 60 years after it was first designated as a nature preserve, in 1998 the Indonesian government changed its status to that of a wildlife reserve.

As the last remaining mangrove forest in Jakarta, SMMA, which has a conservation area of 25.02 hectares, is Jakarta's last line of defense against seawater abrasion and rising tides, as well as functioning as lungs for the city and a runoff area for floodwaters.

That afternoon I was accompanied by Edy Sutrisno, a volunteer from Jakarta Green Monster, and two German tourists who had been staying in Jakarta for seven months. We enjoyed the view of the clusters of mangroves and pidada and nipah trees by hiking along the 800-meter bridge trail, which was completed in March last year.

Now and then we saw birds emerging from the dense mangroves; several long-tailed monkeys seemed to be holding a caucus in the trees, or even crossing the trail. Edy said that this bridge trail will be extended to circumnavigate the SMMA area and connected to the protected forest so that visitors will have an even more interesting experience.

Within the reserve there are at least 30 species of plants, of which eleven are trees. The types of mangrove trees here include bakau (Rhizophora mucronata, Rapiculata), api-api (Avicennia spp.), pidada (Sonneratia caseolaris) and buta-buta (Excoecaria agallocha). Other tree species such as ketapang (Terminalia catappa) and nipah (Nypa fruticans) are also found here.

Apart from these species, several others have been introduced as part of the reforestation effort, such as asam jawa (tamarind, Tamarindus indica), bintaro (Cerbera manghas), kormis (Acacia auriculiformis), nyamplung (Calophyllum inophyllum), tanjang (Bruguiera gymnorrhiza), and waru laut (Hibiscus tiliaceus).

The SMMA is also a habitat for many species of birds and other creatures that are becoming scarce, particularly within Jakarta. Jakarta Green Monster has recorded 91 bird species found in the reserve: 28 species of water birds and 63 of forest birds. Around 17 of these are protected species.

I also had the chance to observe the birds from the ‘Bird Hide', a sort of platform placed securely in the middle of the path. From there, we could watch birds gathering food and engaged in other activities, without disturbing them.

Among the bird species commonly found at SMMA are Pecuk-padi Kecil (lesser cormorant, Phalacrocorax niger), Cangak (heron, Ardeola spp.), Kuntul (egret, Egretta spp.), Kareo Padi (white-breasted water hen, Amaurornis phoenicurus), Mandar Batu (moorhen, Gallinula chloropus), Betet Biasa (red-breasted parakeet, Psittacula alexandri), Merbah Cerukcuk (yellow-vented bulbul, Pycnonotos goiavier), Kipasan Belang (pied fantail, Rhipidura javanica), Remetuk Laut (golden-bellied gerygone, Gerygone sulphurea), and many others. Several of these species are endemic to the mangrove forest, such as Sikatan Bakau (mangrove flycatcher, Cyornis rufigastra). The SMMA is also home to the Perenjak Jawa (bar-winged prinia, Prinia familiaris).

Several other endemic bird species found hare are species found only on the island of Java, such as Cerek Jawa (Javan plover, Charadrius Javanicus) and Bubut Jawa (Sunda coucal, Centropus nigrorufus). The Bubut Jawa is a world endangered species that exists in only a few places, including the SMMA.

The Bubut Jawa population in SMMA is currently no more than ten individuals. Another endangered bird species that lives here is the bangau bluwok (milky stork, Mycteria cinerea). The only place in Java where this species is known to breed is Pulau Rambut, an island not far from Muara Angke.

In addition to the bird species, the SMMA also has several bands of long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis). There are currently around three large bands of these monkeys, each comprising around 20 to 30 animals. Their main food is the young leaves and fruits of the mangrove trees, such as pidada (Sonneratia caseolaris) fruits. These long-tailed monkeys play an important role in the Muara Angke Wildlife Reserve, because they help disseminate the seeds of the forest plants; these indigestible seeds are expelled in their feces.

Another mammal species that lives in the SMMA but is much more rarely seen is the berang-berang cakar-kecil (small-clawed otter, Aonyx cinerea). This small carnivore, which feeds on fish and other water creatures, is mostly nocturnal.

A small lake at the Muara Angke Wildlife Reserve.

The SMMA is also home to various reptile species, such as biawak air (water monitor, Varanus salvator), ular sanca kembang (reticulated python, Python reticulatus), ular sendok Jawa or Javan spitting cobra (Naja sputatrix), ular welang (banded krait, Bungarus fasciatus), ular kadut belang (puff-faced water snake, Homalopsis buccata), ular cincin mas (gold-banded mangrove snake, Boiga dendrophila), ular pucuk (green whip snake, Ahaetula prasina), and ular bakau (dog-faced water snake, Cerberus rhynchops). Local residents also claim that buaya muara (estuary crocodile, Crocodylus porosus) are found here.

While walking along the bridge trail, we were surprised to see an eagle circling over the SMMA area. Edy suspected that it was a crested serpent eagle (elang ular bido), a species that would normally be seen in the mountains.

SMMA is also an important transit area for birds migrating between the northern and southern hemispheres.

"It's hard to imagine you can find a place like this in Jakarta. I'm so happy it exists, but at the same time a bit sad because the area is too small," said Guido, a German tourist who is also an entomologist.

The operator of the SMMA is the Natural Resource Conservation Unit (BKSDA). This agency is technically under the Department of Forestry, but in practice it is assisted by other institutions such as the Jakarta Green Monster community, whose volunteers publicize the reserve's existence, share their knowledge by inviting school groups to visit, and conduct monitoring survey of the animals found in the reserve.

Currently, most of the visitors to the Muara Angke Wildlife Reserve are students or tourists who want to see the Bubut Jawa. It's also a great alternative tourism destination in Jakarta – a place to relax after your intense daily routine. Listening to the ceaseless chirping of the birds, or looking at the colors of the insects as they flit among the trees, helps us to forget all that – it's really hard to imagine you're still in Jakarta.


source: garuda magazine

Ubud's Culinary Queen

Text by Janet DeNeefe

I thought it would be an ideal time to take you on a jalan-jalan down Ubud's 'culinary' memory lane and honour one of the grand dames of our village cafes. Ubud has been the home to a wok full of Balinese mums who have been satisfying the hearts and appetites of international visitors for many years. These 'domestic goddesses' have helped shape the eating style of Ubud and set it on its dining feet. Their recipe for success has been simple: home-cooked food served with lashings of gracious Balinese hospitality. I often feel shy to be a non-Balinese expounding knowledge on Balinese food amongst these spice divas. I bow to the humble and lasting contribution they have made to our beloved town. And writing this article took me into a time-honoured space that also made me somewhat nostalgic. That's what memories do, I guess.

Enter Ibu Canderi. Canderi's warung was established by Ibu Canderi in the late sixties on Monkey Forest Road when Ubud was still painted in subtle shades of shock after the devastating communist coup only a few years before. Ibu Canderi had her own tale of tragedy to tell, with the loss of her husband during that time. She was still carrying the youngest of five children, a mere baby of a few months, on her hip when she unexpectedly became a widow. I remember hearing her story in the eighties, while sitting near the faded black and white photo of her late husband that hangs in the restaurant to this day. Hard to believe a blood-bath of this nature could happen in Bali.

But I digress. Ibu Canderi opened the doors of her family abode to cater for the new breed of tourist visiting the land Jawarhalal Nehru fondly called "the morning of the earth"; you know, that hippy-type who was looking for the 'real' Bali in flowery kaftans and bare feet sharing lots of love. Canderi had trained as an elementary school teacher but work had dried up after the coup. "We had to eat" she said. So she took the plunge and opened a homestay and restaurant. The only other places to stay, at that time, were Hotel Tjampuhan and lodgings in the palaces.

Canderi's was a simple eatery but in those days all eating places were simple. It was set in the family compound, in the living and breathing quarters of their traditional home, and the surrounding four rooms were available for rent. The restaurant lay in the courtyard and spilled onto the terraces of each room or wherever there was space. The staff was a mix of local Ubud folk and her own offspring; all sporting that laid-back quality that was actually even more laid-back then. The wonderful ambience reflected the warmth of this tiny mother whose gentle demeanour was as soft and loving as a hug for the homesick tourist. We all loved going there and we all loved Ibu Canderi. The food was a quirky mix of Balinese fare and tourist food that had been introduced by international guests who had stayed there: jaffles, guacamole, tacos, chapattis and garlic toast vied for attention with black rice-pudding, tofu fritters and Balinese soups. But despite the flavour, it was all cooked with love.

By the mid-eighties, Canderi's was already an Ubud institution. Ketut and I spent many nights sitting at the bar on rustic bamboo stools, chatting and laughing with Ibu Canderi while watching the action in the kitchen (albeit somewhat slow) and the comings and goings of the guests. There was always someone strumming a guitar under the stars and usually a group of Indonesians and other nationalities playing chess, cards or whatever, in the dimly-lit corners. In fact, nighttimes at Canderi's witnessed the most spirited, charismatic locals that Ubud will perhaps ever see at a time when this artist's refuge was slowly re-awakening. The wild and hilarious (late) Armawa spent every other night there, waxing lyrical with Silvio Santoso, creator of the Ubud Pathfinder map, (where are you, Silvio?). Pranoto, our favourite artist, took turns on the guitar while Nyoman Suradnya, Frank Wilson (before the white robes), Sarita Newson, John Schumann of Redgum fame and assorted local eccentrics gathered in this Alice's Restaurant-type haven, drinking arak, rice wine or mic jus (mixed juice) and chatting about life with whoever chose to listen. Redgum's best seller, "I've been to Bali too", honoured Canderi as part of the Ubud – I don't want to go home – experience.

Well I wandered off to Ubud, just a little up the track. One week there, didn't want to come back. Listening to Gamelan, playing guitar. Canderi's, tacos, Hotel Menara, two-month visa, I've been to Bali too. I was told that even Covarrubias stayed at Canderi's (well, whoever he was, he was Mexican), as well as countless writers, musicians and artists. Gosh, don't we all miss those days.

Ibu Canderi made everyone feel at home in a caring, open-hearted way and isn't that the single, most important attribute of a great host? In fact, it wasn't the food that made Canderi's special; it was simply Canderi. She heralded the new breed of "Ibu" in Ubud, a new type of businesswoman who made friends with people from all places, all walks of life.

I asked her about the tourist in those days. "Were they different back then?" "Oh yes", she said wistfully, "their hearts were much closer to us."

Nowadays, at the age of 75, Canderi still runs her restaurant. And after all, why should she let it go? When I paid a visit the other day, she was still perched behind the desk, surveying the guests with her tender expression. Her restaurant is very much an old-Ubud experience with photos on the wall showing various guests who have visited and that feeling of eating in someone's house still lingers.

Janet DeNeefe is the owner of Casa Luna and Indus restaurants, author of Fragrant Rice, and creator of the Ubud Readers & Writers Festival. She also runs the Casa Luna Cooking School.

surce: garuda magazine

December 13, 2009

A Night of Dayak Culture

For thousands of years, the Dayak people — with more than 400 sub-ethnic groups — have inhabited the island of Borneo, the Indonesian portion of which is known as Kalimantan.

In recent times, however, the 740,000-square-kilometer island’s natural resources have attracted m ultinational mining and logging companies, which have brought with them many modern influences.

Since the colonial era, a number of companies have set up production sites on the island. The colonists, in favor of the foreign newcomers, often enforced regulations that restricted the traditions of the local people.

“I remember my grandfather once said that he wasn’t allowed to go to school unless he cut off his dangling earlobes,” said Gregorio Leo Oendoen, one of the founders of the Dayak Youth Community in Jakarta. It is a tradition of the Dayak tribe to put weighted earrings in their earlobes when they reach puberty. The older a Dayak man or woman is, the heavier their earrings are made, and as a result their earlobes become elongated.

“It is a sign of patience and wisdom gained during the years,” Gregorio said.

Hundreds of rumah betang , wooden long houses, were also destroyed because the colonial government believed they were places of wild orgies and incestuous sex. As a result, many Dayak families were displaced and forced either to conform to the modern lifestyle or move to the island’s interior. Sadly, Gregorio said, cultural misunderstandings continued to this day — a common insult, orang Dayak , implies someone is mentally retarded. Today, most of the younger Dayaks have forsaken their cultural traditions in pursuit of a more contemporary lifestyle.

Tattoos that were an important part of the Dayak identity have become a dying art. “It took me weeks of going upstream [on an educational expedition to learn about the Dayak] before I met a man or a woman with tattoos,” said Aman Durga Sipatiti, a tattoo artist who specializes in tribal tattoos and piercings.

Dayak professionals in Jakarta, concerned with the growing indifference of the younger Dayak toward their own culture, founded the Dayak Youth Community in 2002.

“At first, I didn’t care much about our cultural traditions,” Gregorio said. “But, when I visited the Dayak Kayaan Mendalam [a Dayak community] in West Kalimantan, I became attracted to their way of life. They respect the forest as their main natural resource, work hard and lead a humble lifestyle. I came to realize that money is not everything.”

On Sunday and Monday, the Dayak Youth Community will hold a gala event, “A Night With the Dayak,” at the auditorium of the Goethe Institute, Jakarta. “Natas Banyang,” a ritual ceremony of ancient Dayak traditions, will mark the opening night, followed by a toast of “tuak” (rice wine) among the guests and participants.

The Dayak Children’s Choir, whose members range in age from 6 to 18, will sing traditional songs and there will also be a dance performance that represents the life cycle of the Dayak people.

“For the people of the Dayak, land cultivation is the core of their livelihood,” Gregorio said. “That’s why each stage [of cultivation] is marked with a dance celebration.”

The Mandau dance, which symbolizes the clearing of the land, will be performed by a group of women; the Bahuma dance describes the happiness and enthusiasm of the men in plowing the fields; the Menugal dance describes the joy of the women when planting the seeds; the Hudoq is a mask dance, performed after planting the seeds, which is aimed at driving away bad spirits that may cause a bad crop.

“The faces of the masks represent the pests that may attack the crops, such as rats and locusts,” Gregorio said.

Traditionally, the dance was performed to please the goddess of rice paddies, Hunai Parai Avaang, so she would bless the upcoming harvest.

In addition to the dance performances, the event will also feature a live demonstration of hand-tapping tattooing by Aman Durga Sipatiti. Hand-tapping is a traditional method of tattooing in Indonesian, Polynesian and Maori cultures, and uses a thin wooden stick fitted with a needle at one end, covered in ink, which is tapped with another stick into the dermis layer of the skin.

The patterns of Dayak tattoos include the Bunga Terung (rosette), which signifies bravery, the Garing tree (the mythical tree of life) and a Hornbill bird for protection against evil spirits.

“It’s quite an intense, spiritual and philosophical experience,” Durga said.

Hand-tapped tattoos take three times as long as a modern tattoo, during which both the tattoo artist and the client must maintain full concentration and a soul connection, according to Dayak lore.

The event will also feature a photo essay by Rani Djandam, a Dayak anthropologist, which describes the “Ngamuan Gunung Pirak,” the wedding ceremony of the Dayak Ma’anyan tribe of Central Kalimantan. There will also be an exhibition of traditional beading and a demonstration of the intricate hand-weaving techniques of the Dayak Sintang tribe.

Tenun Sintang — the hand-woven textile of the Dayak Sintang — was discovered by Pastor Maessen, a Dutch missionary, in 1968.

“He visited a house and the wife cleaned a chair for him with a piece of old cloth, covered in vibrant colors and patterns,” Gregorio said. The cloth was a very old hand-woven piece of material, owned by the woman’s grandparents. The pastor helped the local people to revive the dying trade. Today, Tenun Sintang is one of the most coveted textiles in the country.

“Pastor Maessen himself will also attend this event,” Gregorio said.

“Our organization aims to be a cultural ambassador for the Dayak people,” he added. “Therefore, we hope that with this event, more people will be able to appreciate Dayak culture and traditions and the younger generations of Dayaks will again be proud of their roots.”


‘A Night With the Dayak’
Goethe Institute
Jl. Sam Ratulangi, No. 9 - 15
Menteng, Central Jakarta
For more information on the programs, visit www.dayakyouthcommunity.org

December 8, 2009

ndonesia To Host 2010 IRF Australasian Continental Rafting Champs

Running from April 22nd 2010 until April 28th 2010, Indonesia will host a thrill and spill sporting event: The IRF AustralAsian Continental Rafting Champs 2010 comes to Central Java and promises to prove its worth as perhaps the country’s foremost international sporting event.

Organized by the Indonesia Rafting Federation (FAJI) in partnership with Marine Corps, this R6 (male and female) championship will take place on two scenic rivers; Serayu River in Wonosobo - Banjarnegara regency and Progo River in Magelang regency of Central Java and will be attended by top line-up rafting teams from various participating countries in Asia and Australia who are ready for a truly exhilarating experience.

This adrenaline-pumping rush event will consist of four different races: Sprint, Down River Race, Slalom and Head to Head. As mentioned above, all of the races will be conducted in both rivers with their reputation for being wild and unpredictable, with legendary Class III and Class IV rapids.


Central Java is a perfect location for sporting holiday -- the breathtaking rivers, fresh air, and superb mountainous views should provide the ideal counterpoint to all of the outdoor action. If you’d like to know further information about the IRF AustralAsian Continental Rafting Championship 2010 then point your web browser at www.faji.org. For details and participation please send an email to: pb_faji [AT] faji DOT org.


The championship promises to be a superb event; the thrill of victory, pursuit of excellence and bragging rights at its best in Indonesia.

December 4, 2009

Pura Luhur Uluwatu - Beautiful and Sacred


Text and Photos by Taufik Darusman from garuda magz

One of Bali’s holiest temples is not only majestic but also offers a spectacular and sweeping view of the Indian Ocean and, of course, stunning sunsets.

Arguably the most spectacular Hindu temple on the island of Bali, Pura Luhur Uluwatu is perched majestically about 80 meters above sea level on the edge of a steep cliff at the southern part of Bali.

Pura Luhur Uluwatu, a classic expression of ancient Bali, is regarded as one of the six main temples in Bali.

It is one of the Sad Kahyangan Temple in Bali (six big groups of Bali temples) and is situated in Pecatu Village, the sub-district of South Kuta, Badung Regency, about 25 km south of Denpasar.

Pura means temple while luhur is “something of divine origin”.

Uluwatu is actually two words combined into one; ulu is “land’s end” and watu means “rock” in the island’s old language.

The area is open to public, so it is not uncommon for its parking lot to be inundated by giant buses transporting tourists from all over the world. But they come not only for the temple but also for the stunning panorama and the to-die-for sunsets.

Dedicated to the spirits of the sea, the famous temple is an architectural marvel built with black coral rocks.

Built in the eleventh century during the era of Empu Kuturan, Pura Luhur Uluwatu is one of the oldest temples in Bali.

(Empu is a title denoting the person’s excellence in literature, philosophy and craftsmanship.)

Monkeys roam around the vicinity of the templeSome five centuries later a priest, Dang Hyang Niraratha, rebuilt it to what you see today.

The temple is so sacred that up to the turn of the 20th century it is said that only the princes of Denpasar were allowed to worship there.

A word of caution: Monkeys, always on the lookout for a free bite, abound here, and warning signs remind visitors about their aggressiveness, which can manifest in their going after your sunglass or camera.

There are two ways to reach the temple; the first is taking the steep path along the cliff, while the second is to enter from the candi bentar (gate), festooned with carvings that have become the landmark of the island.

After going through an open central courtyard, you reach the main gate which has two ganeshas (elephant-headed guardian statues) one on each side.

On the left and right of the main gate are shrines, astasari (for festival offerings), a shrine dedicated to Dang Hyang Nirartha, and several other shrines, called bale tajuk, for spiritual guardians of Nirartha–all of them impressive in their own right.

Another but smaller courtyard is in store before you reach the three-tiered pagoda Meru, which is dedicated to Nirartha who, as legend has it, achieved self-enlightenment here.

Best time to visit the temple is during weekdays and before sunset time. This is when the place is tranquil, allowing you more time to explore what is considered to be one of Bali’s most important temples, and to contemplate.

It is also the time when you can watch dolphins and turtles in the sea.

The downside, of course, is that you will miss the sunset, which is actually just as beautiful elsewhere in Bali.

While you’re there, make time to visit the beach, considered to be one of Bali’s best surfing spots.

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