The palace of the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta has two generations of honor. In both cases, at the birth of a son, the father knows that his child will take on a special responsibility one day. It is the right and duty of the child to follow in the footsteps of his ancestors.
One of these honors is to become the Sultan of Yogyakarta, hereditary title of the 18th century. The other great honor that remains in the family is to be a guardian of the palace. It is not only the king who passes on the work to the next generation, but also those who dedicate their lives to royal protection.
Today there are two thousand palace guards. However, only about a thousand are active. It is a job for life, because when they grow up and can no longer work physically, they are cared for instead of being taken out of service. One hundred palace guards work one day.
The palace is known in Yogyakarta as Keraton. Although it is open to visitors in the morning, it is still part of the political atmosphere of the region. Since the declaration of independence in 1945, the sultan has retained this title and not his power - but he is also automatically the governor of the region. That is why Keraton is used for official functions, political gatherings and as a royal residence.
There is also a cultural connection with the resort and the people. In a sense, it is almost a spiritual connection. The Keraton is designed to represent the Javanese cosmos. It faces the Merapi volcano in one direction and the Indian Ocean, which houses the important Indonesian sea spirit, in the other direction.
The layout of pavilions, courtyards and even trees has a meaning in the traditional spiritual vision of the peoples of the world. But look closely and you will also see in the intricate designs an integration of beliefs that have influenced this part of Indonesia over the years. There are Buddhist, Islamic and Hindi elements to a large extent the decoration in the central part of the palace.
No comments:
Post a Comment