Taman Sari also known as Taman Sari Water Castle is a site of a former royal garden of
the Sultanate of Yogyakarta.
It is located about 2 km south within the grounds of the Kraton, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Built in mid 18th century, the Taman Sari had
multiple functions, such as a resting area, a workshop, a meditation area, a
defense area, and a hiding place.
Taman Sari consists of four distinct
areas: a large artificial lake with islands and pavilions located in the west,
a bathing complex in the centre, a complex of pavilions and pools in the south,
and a smaller lake in the east. Today only the central bathing complex is well
preserved, while the other areas have been largely occupied by the Kampung
Taman settlement.
Since 1995 the Yogyakarta Palace
Complex including Taman Sari is listed as a tentative World Heritage Site.
The name of Taman
Sari comes from the Javanese words taman, means a "garden" or
"park" and sari, which means "beautiful" or
"flowers". Hence, the name Taman
Sari means an area of a beautiful garden
adorned with flowers. An old article describes it as a "water castle"
(Dutch: waterkasteel); as by shutting
the watergates, the complex would be completely immersed in water, leaving tall
structures standing out.
The building of Taman Sari is commenced during the reign of Sultan Hamengkubuwono I (1755–1792),
the first sultan of theYogyakarta Sultanate,
and is completed by the time of Sultan Hamengkubuwono II. The building site,
however, has already been known as a bathing place called Pacethokan Spring
since Sunan Amangkurat IV’s reign (1719–1726). According to Kitab Mamana in
Yogyakarta Pallace, the project leader for the construction of Taman Sari is
Tumenggung Mangundipura. He has travelled twice to Batavia (now it is called as Jakarta) to learn about European architecture,
which is the reason why the architecture of Taman Sari has marks of European
style. The Regent of Madiun, Raden Rangga Prawirasentika, is participated in
funding the construction of Taman Sari. Prawirasentika also beseeches the Sultan to be relieved of Madiun's tax
obligation. He offers other alternative ways of payment. The Sultan accepts his
proposal. In 1758, the Sultan commands the Regent to supervise the making of
bricks and various complements, which will be funcioned to build a beautiful garden.
The sultan wants a place where he can spend some time to relax, after many
years of wars that he has just experienced. Raden Tumenggung Mangundipura,
under supervision of Raden Arya Natakusuma (who later becomes Sri Pakualam II),
is responsible for the construction. The building is started in 1684, Javanese year (1758 AD). After finding out how large
the complex is, Raden Rangga Prawirasentika realizes that the cost will have
been greater than the taxes. He resigns from the project and is replaced by
Prince Natakusuma who continues the project to completion.
Taman Sari was built three years after
the Giyanti Agreement as
a resting place for Sultan Hamengkubuwono I. The complex consists of about 59 buildings including
a mosque, meditation chambers, swimming pools, and a series of 18 water gardens
and pavilions surrounded by artificial lakes. The complex was effectively used
between 1765–1812.
The British invasion of the Yogyakarta Kraton saw
considerable parts of the complex destroyed in 1812.
The
building of Taman Sari ends upon the completion of the gates and the walls. A sengkalan memet (a Javanese chronogram) on the western gate (Gedhong Gapura Hageng) marks
the year with the Javanese words Lajering
Kembang Sinesep Peksi, denoting
the Javanese year of 1691 or about 1765: lajering,
"core" for 1; kembang,
"flower" for 9; sinerep,
"suck" or "drink" for 6; peksi,
"bird" for 1; the sentence can be read as "birds gathering
pollen of the flower". The relief around this sengkalan memet shows birds siphoning honey from
flowery trees.
The maintenance of Taman Sari was abandoned shortly after
Hamengkubuwono I died, partly because the elaborate hydraulic works were so
difficult to maintain. The gardens were neglected and the buildings suffered
some damage during the Java War of 1825–1830.
The palace complex fell out of use following an
earthquake in 1867, which is destroyed several buildings and drained the water
features. Over time, squatters began to inhabit the site, surrounding the ruins
of the deserted pavilions and filling the empty lakebeds.
In early 1970s, effort at restoration was made. Only the
bathing complex has been completely restored.
Demang Tegis
The manuscript of Serat Rerenggan mentions the story of Demang Tegis, a Portuguese man said to be one of the architect of Taman Sari. According to the manuscript, a strange man suddenly appeared in Mancingan Village (a locality name on the south coast of Java near Parangtritis). With long nose, white complexion, and a foreign language, the villagers suspected that the person was some kind of spirit or forest fairy. They presented him to the current sultan, Hamengkubuwono II. Apparently the sultan found interest in the person and took the strange man as his servant. Some years had passed and the man had finally learned to talk in Javanese. According to him, he was a Portuguese (or in Javanese, Portegis) who was stranded from a shipwreck. He also claimed to have been a housebuilder, so the sultan ordered him to erect a fortress. Satisfied by the man’s work, the sultan gave him the title "demang." From then on that person was known as Demang Portegis or Demang Tegis.
There
is a controversy whether Demang Tegis was actually the architect of Taman Sari,
as the design resembles a hybrid of Javanese and Dutch styles, rather than
Portuguese. P.J. Veth, in Java – Book III, page 631 wrote, "Local research
says that [Taman Sari’s architecture] was designed by either a Spanish or
Portuguese engineer, who was stranded off his sunken ship at the southern
beach. However, [the architecture] that strongly shows Javanese character
contradicts this." The evidence about Demang Tegis remains an
inconclusive, yet the architecture of Taman Sari moved a number of Portuguese
experts on architecture and cultural heritage to examine the Taman Sari in
2001. 
The
widespread assumption of European influence in the design of Taman Sari has
been also challenged by the research of Hélène Njoto-Feillard from the University of
Pantheon-Sorbonne, presented in a 2003 conference paper. Analysing
the historic context and architectural style of the complex, the conclusion is
that the creators are most likely local Javanese. The absence of any mention of
European involvement in the construction of Taman Sari in Dutch historic
descriptions is presented as further evidence in support of this hypothesis.
Buildings
Taman Sari can be divided into four areas. The first area
is the artificial lake Segaran located in the west. The second area
is a bathing complex in the south of the Segaran lake, called the Umbul Binangun bathing complex. The third area, now
completely gone, is the Pasarean
Ledok Sari and Garjitawati
Pool, located in the south of the bathing complex. The fourth area is the east
side of the first and second area, which extend far to the east and to the
southeast complex of Magangan.
The Segaran Lake Area
The Segaran lake area is
the main complex of the Taman Sari during its era. This complex consists of a
man-made lake called Segaran ("artificial sea") with
some buildings located on artificial islands in the middle of a lake. The buildings
are connected by an underwater tunnel. It was used as the starting point for
the royal family to reach the Taman Sari pools via a vessel. Today, the Segaran lake
can not be seen any longer as the water had been drained and the lake bed is
now filled with human settlements. The underwater tunnel, which is now
underground after the water had gone, still exist and can be accessed.
In the middle of Segaran was
an artificial island known as Kenongo Island (Javanese Pulo Kenongo).
It is named after thecananga trees which once covered the
island. On this island is a one-storeyed structure called the Kenongo building
(Javanese Gedhong Kenongo), now in ruins.
On
the south side of Kenongo Island is a row of small buildings called the Tajug.
These buildings are originally used as air vents for the tunnel located below
the lake. This underground tunnel, constructed in 1761, is an alternative way
to reach the Kenongo Island other than by a vessel. Also on the south side of
the Kenongo Island is another artificial island called Cemethi Island (Javanese Pulo
Cemethi) or Panembung Island (Javanese Pulo Panembung). It is a
one-storeyed structure for the Sultan to meditate, or some say, a hiding place
for the royal family during an attack. Another name for this island is Sumur
Gumantung, because on the south side of this island is a well that hangs
above the ground. This place can only be reached via the underwater tunnel. The
building of Cemethi Island is now also in ruin. A legend says that there
is a secret tunnel that connects the palace with the south sea (Indian Ocean) where Nyai Roro Kidul or the Queen of the South has her palace. The
supernatural Queen becomes the spiritual wife of Yogyakarta Sultan for many
generations.
On
the west side of Kenongo Island is another one-storeyed circular structure that
forms another artificial island in the past called Gumuling Well (Sumur
Gumuling). These one-storeyed building can only be entered via the
underwater tunnel. The building was used as a mosque. A niche in the wall of
this building was used as a mihrab. The central area of this building is an
elevated platform where four staircases meet, and then from the platform, one
staircase reach the first floor. On the ground level of this platform is a
small pool that was used for Muslim ritual
ablution.
The Bathing Complex
The second area is located on the south of the former
artificial lake of Segaran.
Even though this area was not the focal point of Taman Sari, it is the best
preseved area in the complex and is currently the most popular tourist
attraction. The area is accessed via two gates on the east and the west side,
each of these gates leads to the center of the complex, first to an inner
octogonal-shaped courtyard on the east and the west, and then each of these
courtyards leads to a central bathing complex in the center.The Gates
There are two gates that lead to the bathing complex, the
western one called Gedhong
Gapura Hageng and the eastern one called Gedhong
Gapura Panggung. Both gates are decorated with ornaments of stylized birds
and flowering foliages.
The octagonal courtyars
Each of the gates leads to an octagonal-shaped courtyard.
The western gate leads to a western octagonal-shaped enclosed courtyard. In the
past, a building stood in the center of this courtyard, which was called the
Lopak-lopak building (Javanese Gedhong
Lopak-lopak).
The eastern gate leads to an octagonal-shaped
enclosed courtyard as well. It has a similar layout with the Gedhong Lopak-lopak courtyard, but within it, there are
four pavilions known as Gedhong
Sekawan. These pavilions were used as the resting place for the royal
family.
The
eastern and the western octagonal courtyards lead to the central bathing
complex.
Umbul pasiraman bathing complex
There are two buildings in the bathing complex. The
northernmost building was used as the resting place and changing room for the
daughters and concubines of the sultan. On the south side of this building is a
pool known as Umbul Muncar.
The pool is divided into two by a central pathway (known as Blumbang Kuras) that runs
east-west. The next building on the south is a building with a tower in its
center. The right wing of the building was used as the sultan's changing room,
the east wing was used as his resting place. The central tower was used by the
sultan to observe his daughters and concubines bathing in the pool.
On the south of this building is the third pool that was
used only by the sultan and his concubines. During its era, only females and
the sultan were allowed to enter this bathing complex.
Gedhong Temanten
The Third Area
This area that is located south of the bathing complex, but
no visible remains are left. According to a reconstruction of the site, this
complex consisted of the complex of Pasarean
Dalem Ledok Sari and the pool
complex of Garjitawati with several pavilions and a garden.Pasarean
Dalem Ledok Sari is the only
part of the complex that is still protected. Pasarean Dalem Ledok Sari was
probably used as a meditation place for the sultan, or some said as the meeting
place for the sultan and his concubines. In the middle of the building was also
a sleeping room for the sultan with water flowing beneath it. There was also a
kitchen, a looming room, a storage, two pools for the servants, and a garden.
The Fourth Area
The fourth complex is the part of the Taman Sari complex
that is practically has no visible remains, except for a former hanging bridge
and remains of a pier. The description of this area is retrieved from a
reconstruction made from the 1812 English army sketch of the Yogyakarta kraton. This area
extends about 600 meters to the east of the Segaran lake area. This area consisted of another artificial lake on the southeast
of the Magangan complex toward the northeast of Siti Hinggil Kidul complex. In
the middle of this artificial lake is another artificial island called Kinupeng
Island (Javanese Pulo Kinupeng).
A building, known as Gading building (Javanese Gedhong Gading) stood in the
middle of the island.
This artificial lake is connected to the east side of the Segaran Lake via a 380 meter long canal that
runs east to west. The canal was about 20 meter wide and there are two
bottlenecks that are thought to be the place where a hanging bridge once stood. One of the bridge is now
located in the street that connects the kraton complex of Magangan with the
Kamandhungan Kidul. The layout of the bridge can still be recognized, although
the bridge itself has gone. On the west side of the hanging bridge is a pier
that was used by the sultan as his starting point for his journey to the Taman
Sari pool on his royal vessel.
The canal is bounded
on the south and north with a garden, now located on the west side of the
kraton complex of Kamanghungan Kidul and Siti Hinggil Kidul. Today, all of
these canals, bridges, lakes, and gardens have been filled with local
settlements; the garden becomes the Kampung Ngadisuryan, the lake becomes the
kampung Segaran.
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taman_Sari_(Yogyakarta)
No comments:
Post a Comment