Sumur Gumuling - Jogjakarta

Sumur Gumuling

Sumur Gumuling is a tourism object that becomes part of Tamansari Tourism complex in Yogyakarta, Central Java, Indonesia. Sumur Gumuling or Gumuling Well is a round building that having some chambers inside the building, that was functioned as a mosque at the time of Yogyakarta Palace. The leader of the prayer did not need a speaker since the circular construction, because the echoes that make his voice heard louder.

The word Gemuling is Java language means, rolling in circular. Literally, this building is having a circular design and and there was a Sumur or Well at the center of the building. As a Mosque, Sumur Gumuling has rich in philosophy; It has only one gate before passing some complicated interior design at the inside. This single gate indicating that human being are created from a soil and will back into the same form. At the top of the building, there are 5 stairs that symbolize 5 principals in Islam. The four stairs are connect into other small chamber at the center of the building, while the other stair is connects to second floor above.

At early time, Sumur Gumuling had two gates. Both were the edge of the tunnel that lead to the well. These days the west gate is just a remnant, and the tunnel had fallen, so that it is impossible to go through. While the east gate is still in a good condition and everybody can pass through it.

Today, this historical building becomes one of the popular tourism objects that always been visited in Yogyakarta. Furthermore, this building is also frequently used for photography and movie making.

Once when we exit, as well as in we were came in, we should through a dark alley. It is actually a long hallway, but it is not allowed to be traced. The guard said that it believes that the hallway is lead into the south sea of Parangtritis. For those who are trying to keep on trace will not be save alive.

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Reog Ponorogo

Reog Ponorogo

Reog is a traditional dance that becomes the main identity from Ponorogo regency. By this traditional culture, Ponorogo is also famous as Reog city.

This kind of traditional art dance and theatre has been popular in Indonesian even worldwide. Reog National Festival is being held every years along the anniversary of Ponorogo regency and followed by Grebeg Suro celebration.

According to the background of the study, Reog is telling about the struggle of a prince who proposing his lovely pretty princess. This dance is staged about 25 – 40 dancers and musicians. Other interesting part of Reog is in the main leading figure named Singo Barong.

The leading figures in Reog include Kelono Sewandono, Bujang Anom, Jatil and Warok. Klono Sewandono, is a men in regal attire wearing mask in proud and pompous dance, play the role as the King of Ponorogo. Bujang Anom, is rough youthful men wearing red mask, and they performed acrobatic dances and sometimes also involved trance. Jatil, is handsome horsemen riding horses made of weaved bamboo, similar to Kuda Lumping dance. Today Jatil usually performed by female dancers.

While, Warok, is played as Singo Barong. A warok is the honorary title of local hero or strongman of the village that possessed both exceptional spiritual and physical strength. The dance itself is demonstration of physical strength of the dancers. The dancers of Singo Barong should bear the mask for about 30 – 40 kg weight and supported by the strength of their teeth.

The visitors can enjoy this traditional dance only in Ponorogo, East Java – Indonesia. However, if we are lucky we can see Reog show in any other cultural events outside Ponorogo, but the dancers and the teams are still coming from Ponorogo.

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Sekapur Sirih Dance

Sekapur Sirih Dance

Sekapur Sirih traditional dance is a welcome dance from Jambi dan Riau Province, Indonesia. This dance is having slow and delicate motion which accompanied by traditional instrumental to welcome the honor guests.

The motion of the dance is showing the humble heart of the indigenous when welcoming the guests. Sekapur Sirih dance is mostly present by 9 dancers, which divided by 3 male dancer, 1 umbrella person and 2 guards. The dancers are using particular properties like Cerano or the a jar that contain of betel leaves, umbrella, and Keris or traditional dagger.

The wardrobes that being used by the dancers are Baju Kurung, or traditional clothes from Jambi. While the instruments are taken from traditional malay music, which include of violin, harp, accordion, tambourine, gong and drum.

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Indonesia Map

Indonesia Map

Indonesia is the largest archipelago country in the world, with hundreds of islands scattered across the provinces. Each island is having wonderful natural sightseeing, with the characteristic of each region.

Indonesia Map, is the latest application by Mahoni.com that will becomes your personal guide when you visit Indonesia. This is a digital map applications, which made in practical and handy way.

Indonesia Map is an application with high resolution maps, which are made with complete details in accordance by the state of Indonesia.

There are total of 75 maps in this application, which consists of 33 maps of provinces, 5 maps of the most visited tourism objects, 13 metropolitan cities and, 5 maps of the largest island in Indonesia and there are 20 regional maps in Bali, where Bali is a province that most widely visited by tourists in every year.

All maps in Indonesia Map application are digital map and “hand made”, which using the Vector application that being exported to the form of .Png. By the convenient that is given by Mahoni.com, all the maps in Indonesia Map can be sent or shared via email and can be printed like a conventional map. By having high resolution in every picture, a printed map will not break and remain good for printing in large sizes.

By downloading Indonesia Map application, the user can directly operate it without the INTERNET connection, because it already downloaded on iPad and ready to carry while traveling.

Moreover, all the facilities that exist in this application will be always updated in times, both in case of system maintenance or updating data that will also develop according to Indonesia’s update.

Indonesia Map is your private companion that leads you into beauty. Just come and see the beauty of Indonesia by downloading this application.

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Tanduk Dance - Minangkabau

Tari Tanduk

Tanduk dance or Tanduak traditional dance is a cultural dance from Minang Kabau, West Sumatra, Indonesia. This traditional art dance is having an element of martial art and become popular among the society.

This dance is originally a traditional dance from Lubuak Tarok district, Sawah Lunto Sijunjuang Regency and always being performed in special occasion like governmental event.

This dance is performed by several men and women that together make a circle. Beside, it seems like performing martial art, it also symbolize a bond of relationship among friends.

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Umbrella Dance - Sumatra Province

Umbrella Dance

Tari Payung or Umbrella Dance is Minangkabau’s traditional dance. Minangkabau is one of regencies in Indonesia, which located in West Sumatra.

Since Tari Payung played by a pair of young man and woman, the meaning of Tari Payung is telling about the man approaching a girl and how he cares about his girl. The umbrella that being the main utility, is symbolize the main icon to be the shelter for the spouse in having good relationship.

The number of dancers in umbrella dance is always complete, and always in pairs, can be three or four pairs. The dance is always accompanied by traditional instrumen like Gendang or traditional drum and the song is about Sikambang traditional song. The song is such a poem in Malay style.

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Tari Piring - West Sumatera

Tari Piring

Tari Piring or Plate Dance is the art of dance held by the Minangkabau tribe in West Sumatra, originated in Solok Town. This dance reflects the life of traditional Minangkabau people at the time of working in the ricefield. The dance expresses happiness of the farmers as well as their gratitude to God for the very successful harvest.

Plate Dance is done in pairs or in groups with a variety of movements that are done quickly, dynamically and interspersed with plate knock sound carried by the dancers. The performer of Plate dance is always accompanied by the traditional instrument called Talempong and Saluang, while the movements are done quickly while holding the plate in the palm of their hand.

The dance has a motion that resembles the movement of farmers during cultivation, harvest and so create employment. The dance begins with the initial work in the field and proceeds to the final process until harvested rice. Sometimes these plates they throw into the air or they fling to the ground. At the final stage of the dance, the male and young lady dancers will trample the broken plates, without getting hurt. This fact should not interpreted as a magic work, as many people may think, but it religiously signals the acceptance of the dancer’s pray by God.

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Tor-Tor Dance

Tor Tor Dance

Tor-Tor dance is a traditional dance from Batak tribe in North Sumatra. At ancient times, the art of dancing in Batak land was a main media during the rite, and it still had mystical things. Moreover, the dance was also performed in happy times like harvesting and wedding ceremony.

according to history, tor tor dance is used in rituals associated with spirits. The spirit is invoked and “walked” into the stone statues, which was the symbol of the ancestors. Those statues were then moved like dancing, but with a rigid motion. The movement is identical with feet movement (tiptoe) and hand movements.

There are 3 types of Tor-tor dance. There is Tor tor Pangurason (cleanup dance). This dance is usually held at a big party.Before the party starts, the place and location of the party is first be cleaned by using lime to be far from danger.

Second, there is tor tor Sipitu Cawan (Dance of the seven bowls). This dance is usually held during the inauguration of a king. This dance is also derived from the seven daughters of heaven to bathe in a lake at the top of the Pusuk Buhit mountain along with the arrival of piso sipitu sasarung (the seven knife sheath).

Last, there is tor tor Tunggal Panaluan, which is a cultural ritual. This dance is usually held when there is disaster strikes the village. Tunggal Panaluan is danced by the shaman to be guided solutions to resolve the issue.

The moves of Tor tor dance is flows according to Margondang, which is the traditional instruments that accompanying the dance. These instruments are Gondang or percussion, Batakness trumpet and more.

Today, the ritual of Tor tor dance is no longer associate with the religious rite or any mystical ceremony but the occasional events like welcoming tourists and wedding feast.

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Serampang 12 Dance

Serampang 12

Serampang 12 (Dua Belas) is one of traditional Malay dances from North sumatera. This dance is performed in pair, which symbolized the match maker founding mate. This dance was created by a person name Sauti in 1940s and it was rearrange during 1950-1960. Before it known as Serampang 12, this dance was popular as Pulau Sari Dance, which based on the theme song that accompany the dance.

There were controversy about the changing name from Pulau Sari to Serampang 12 dance. One said that a type of dancing that use the title of “Pulau” is must be in term of slow moving motion dance, while, this dance is having fast tempo in each moves. Hence, it appropriately use title of “Serampang”, for it identify the fast moving dance. While, 12 (dua belas, Bahasa) is indicating that this dance is the fastest dance among other “Serampang” dances.

Moreover, the 12 (dua belas) is indicated as there are 12 steps included in this dance. At every move, is characterize the process of a man found the girl that he crushed for. The steps are about: the first sight, crush on, falling love, crazy in love, the sign of love, love in return, looking for the truth, persisting the feeling, give the answer, proposing, the bride meeting and the marriage.

Although, this dance is telling about the process of finding love, at early begin it was perform by a pair of men. This is happened because of the gender issue that came up among the society that forbidding women to dance and showing the body moves. Today, this dance is already performing moderately and played by a pair of man and woman.

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Saman Meuseukat Dance

Saman Dance and Ratéb Meuseukat

Most people recognize Saman dance. Saman dance is one of traditional dances from Aceh province. Unfortunately, public are sometime get mistaken that Saman dance is actually Ratéb Meuseukat dance.

Those two dances are basically coming from the same province of Aceh, but they are belong to different tribe. Ratéb Meuseukat is belongs to Aceh tribe, while, Saman dance is belongs to Gayo tribe in Central Aceh. There are 3 different things that differentiate these dances:

• Saman dance using Gayo language, and Ratéb Meuseukat using Aceh language.

• Saman dance is brought by male dancer, and Ratéb Meuseukat is brought by female dancer.

• Saman dance is un-instrumented, while Ratéb Meuseukat is accompanied by rapa’i and geundrang.

Ratéb Meuseukat dance is taken from Arab language; ratéb means praying, and meuseukat is silent. The content and the rhyme of this dance is about praise to the Lord and His Prophet which brought by group of female dancer with their traditional costume. This dance is growth in Meudang Ara Rumoh Abro in Soutwest Aceh propince.

At early begin, Ratéb Meuseukat was played after the class of reading Koran at night, and also become the media to preach, and it played in sitting and standing position. Nowadays, this dance is sometimes performed in great events, wedding ceremony and other occasion.

In Saman dance, this dance is usually performed during the birthday of prophet Muhammad and brought by using Arab and Gayo poetry. In some literature mentions that Saman dance was founded and developed by Sheikh Saman, a scholar who came from the Gayo in Soutwest Aceh.

Saman dance is also become one of the media to the achievement of the preaching message (da’wa). This dance reflects the educational, religious, polite, heroism, solidarity and togetherness.

Before to start the dance, there will be mukaddimah or opening show, appears a wise elder or traditional leaders to represent the local community (keketar) or useful advice to the players and spectators.

Saman dance is performed without instrument and played by group male dancer that wearing traditional costume. The instrument of this dance is using the sound of the dancers and their applause that usually combined with beating their chest and groin as synchronization, and threw the body to here and there.

This dance is guided by a leader who is typically called a Syech. Since this dance need formation uniformity and timeliness, the dancers are required to have high concentration and serious exercise in order to perform perfectly. This dance is danced by men in particular.

In general, saman dance played by dozens of men, but the amount should be in odd number.Others say that this dance is danced more or less in 10 people, with details of 8 dancers and 2 as cue givers. Nevertheless, at present time it requires the dance will be more lively when it danced by more dancers. To arrange a variety of movement, it instituted a leader who called sheikh. In addition to regulating the movement of the dancers, Sheikh is also tasked to sing poems, called ganit.

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