For reading the series of “RETRACING SURAKARTA PRINCES’ RESIDENCES”:
Chapter I: An Introduction, please click here
Chapter II: Batik Factory, please click here
Chapter III: Ndalem Sasonomulyo, please click here
Chapter IV: Delikan, please click here
Note: This article is the introduction for the series of articles "RETRACING SURAKARTA PRINCES' RESIDENCES". There will be several series in which one series represents one residence of the Surakarta Prince or other features related to the topic. Enjoy!
Exploring Solo or Surakarta can be a never ending journey. There are so many choices of spots to visit, from the popular one until something which is hidden or not common yet to see for most people who visit Solo. Of course, visiting Keraton Surakarta Hadiningrat (the palace of Surakarta King) must be one of the top first destinations. Not only as important building in Solo, but also because it has been famous place as the center of Javanese culture with majesty of its heritages. When you ask people who have visited Solo, there is a big possibility that they have visited the palace, but they may not have any ideas about the other buildings outside the main complex of the palace like the residences of the princes. In fact, those residences are also the interesting spots to explore with their own uniqueness. Those have so many potentials to be tourism spots in Solo.
Since those houses are not yet popularly known by many people, I was so excited to join the activity to visit five houses of the Surakarta Princes which was conducted by "Blusukan Solo" Community from Rumah Karnaval Indonesia organization. Blusukan is a Javanese word to mention the activity of going around in hidden or unknown place. So the focus of this community is to go exploring the places in Solo that may not be noticed by people. The program done in April 22, 2012 was entitled "Blusukan Ndalem Pangeran" or simply has the meaning as exploring the princes' residences.
Generally, those residences are spacious with typical Javanese housing style called Joglo. Joglo has specific space functioned as open hall with dominant wooden ornament. Some of the residences are in good condition, while some others, I think they need urgent renovation. Uniquely, all the houses in palace area including princes' residences have their own names. These following pictures are the front parts of five princes' residences in which I will explain later in detail one by one in following series.
1. Ndalem Sasono Mulyo
[caption id="attachment_173133" align="aligncenter" width="313" caption="Ndalem Sasonomulyo"]
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2. Ndalem Suryohamijayan
3. Ndalem Poerwodiningratan
4. Ndalem Mangkubumen
5. Ndalem Mloyosuman
This cultural trip started at 8 am and ended in 4 pm. Yes, 8 hours of the program, just like regular working hours on a day. To be honest the trip was so fun until I could not feel that the time was running so fast. Other nice things were to have the opportunity in palace area in buffet style which was cooked by Abdi Dalem (Palace assistant) and to visit the graveyard of Ki Sala who was recognized as one of the important persons for the existence of Solo area. The understanding about those residences became more enlightening from the information by Dr. Titis S. Pitana., M.Trop. Arch and Gusti Puger (one member of royal family). Plus, when participants visited each house, they can meet the host or Abdi Dalem who explained the detail of the residences.
to be continued.....
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