Discover beauty of Indonesia
While traveling with the Master Lin and Grandmaster Tio
Kraton Jogjakarta
Imperial Palace of Java Kingdom in Jogjakarta.
In the mind of the Javanese community, kraton is defined
as center of the world that is described as center of the universe.
Kraton is the Javanese word for a royal palace. Its name is derived from
ratu, which means "queen". In Java, the palace of a prince is called
puro or dalem. The general word to designate a palace is istana, as in
Indonesian and Malay.
Designated as such for tourists, the palaces are known by their locality
- 'The Yogyakarta Kraton', but in Indonesian and Javanese
etiquette, the places are given their full formal titles when being
written or spoken about.
Karaton, Keraton or Kraton, originates from the word ke-ratu-an that
means the place where the queen/king lives. Simple explanation of its
broader meaning is that all structures and buildings in the Kraton area
have significant meaning related to essential Javanese philosophy of
life, namely Sangkan Paraning Dumadi that means the origin and the
destination of human being.
In general, the Kraton area stretches 5 kilometers southwards to Krapyak
village and 2 kilometers northwards until the Tugu monument. In this
imaginary line, there is a reversed dualism linear line that tells
symbolical philosophy: the direction from south to north symbolizes the
birth of human being from the high place to the perishable world, and
the opposite direction symbolizes the return of human being to the
Dumadi (God in Javanese philosophy).
Kraton is physical symbol and the King is the symbol of the real soul
that presents into the physical body.
The direction from the Palace to the Tugu monument represents the road
of life that is full of temptations. Beringharjo market symbolizes women
temptation and temptation of power is symbolized by Kepatihan building.
The straight street connecting the Palace to Tugu monument symbolizes
close relationship between human being and the Creator (Sangkan Paraning
Dumadi).
In short, Tugu monument is a symbol of lingga (male sex organ) and
Krapyak symbolizes yoni (female sex organ) and kraton is physical blend
of the two.
Yogyakarta Sultan Palace is an old building that was once damaged and
restored. In general, it looks like other Kingdom buildings. When we
understand the philosophy of them deeper, however, we will understand
the symbolical meaning of life philosophy, human nature, how the nature
works and human beings live their lives and various symbols of life
existence in them.