Tag: Alun-Alun Kidul

Menilik Keraton Surakarta Hadiningrat

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<—-Kisah Sebelumnya

Beristirahat cukup nyenyak di Amaris Hotel Sriwedari membuatku bangun tepat saat adzan Shubuh berkumandang. Menyempatkan diri menikmati fajar dari balik jendela kaca kamar maka aku memutuskan mengguyur badan di bawah shower dengan air hangat setelahnya. Aku sengaja berlama-lama di bawah shower, menyempurnakan relaksasi otot setelah sejak kemarin lusa berkejaran dengan waktu dalam melakukan banyak sekali agenda survey dengan menjelajah Kota Solo.

Setelah lebih dari setengah jam berbasuh, aku segera berbenah, merapikan tas dan bersiap diri untuk melakukan survey hari ketiga. Tepat pukul tujuh pagi, aku sudah berada di restoran hotel untuk bersarapan. Sedangkang Rahadian Sang Wakil Ketua Marketing Conference sudah berada di restoran itu semenjak setengah jam lalu. Dia merapat ke meja makanku ketika aku menyantap nasi goreng yang dipadu dengan mendoan dan kopi hangat. Kami berbincang dan membahas survey terakhir hari itu.

Setelah tiga puluh menit menikmati berbagai sajian restoran, aku dan Rahadian mulai memesan taksi online menuju ke timur di daerah Baluwarti. Pagi itu keraton resmi milik  Kasunanan Surakarta menjadi tujuan survey pertama di hari ketigaku di Kota Solo. Tak lama menunggu di lobby, Toyota Agya warna hitam datang menjemput. Aku segera mendudukkan diri di jok depan dan Rahadian di jok belakang, kemudian taksi online mulai melaju sejauh dua kilometer dalam sepuluh menit untuk mencapai tujuan.

Bangunan keraton yang telah berusia 277 tahun.

Lima belas menit menjelang pukul delapan, aku tiba di Keraton Surakarta Hadiningrat. Hari itu waktu survey kurencanakan berlangsung singkat karena Rahadian akan pulang lebih cepat dengan mengejar keberangkatan Kereta Api Lodaya menuju Bandung pada pukul 13:00. Oleh karenanya, aku mendatangi keraton ketika jam operasionalnya belum juka dibuka.

Aku dan Rahadian menikmati pelataran keraton yang juga difungsikan sebagai jalur lalu lintas satu arah. Tetapi ada satu bagian bangunan keraton yang sangat mencuri perhatian, yaitu sebuah menara setinggi tiga puluh meter yang tampak dari pelataran depan. Itulah Menara Sanggabuwana yang didirikan 38 tahun setelah bangunan keraton didirikan. Sudah bisa ditebak bahwa menara ini berfungsi sebagai menara pengawas karena keraton ini didirikan pada zaman Kolonialisme Belanda.

Dikisahkan bahwa menara itu digunakan oleh Sri Susuhan Pakubuwono III untuk menemui Nyi Roro Kidul “Sang Ratu Pantai Selatan”.

Seperti layaknya tata kota zaman-zaman kerajaan tempoe doeloe, Keraton Surakarta Hadiningrat diapit oleh alun-alun, yaitu Alun-Alun Lor (Utara) dan Alun-Alun Kidul (Selatan). Alur-Alur Lor adalah alun-alun yang lebih ramai, ditempat inilah acara “Sekatenan” (Pasar Malam) diselenggarakan untuk memperingati Maulud Nabi Muhammad SAW setiap tahunnya.

Maka untuk mengeksplore area sekitar keraton, aku mulai melanjutkan perjalanan menuju Alun-Alun Lor dengan berjalan kaki.  Alun-Alun Lor ini berjarak tak lebih dari setengah kilomater dari keratin dan bisa ditempuh dengan berjalan kaki dalam sepuluh menit.

Ada destinasi apakah di sekitar Alun-Alun Lor?

Savory and Soft Serabi Notosuman

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<—-Previous Story

Enjoying local culinary delights is always an interesting thing for travelers. This type of culinary is a special attraction because it reflects culinary treasures of region in question. This time I would taste one more typical Solo culinary after I’ve tasted five of them.

That morning, I decided to leave Alun-Alun Kidul (South Square of Surakarta Hadiningrat Palace) early because the sun had shone on that open area. After taking shelter for a while under Waringin Kurung Sakembaran*1, I immediately ordered an online taxi service to Jayengan area.

Shortly after executing the order, a black Toyota Avanza came to pick me up. Taxi driver was very easy to recognize me after I had given my characteristics in detail starting from the color of my clothes, bag and shoes which I was wearing. I opened the front left door and buried myself in the seat.

“Serabi*2 Notosuman, Sir!”, I confirmed the destination.

“Ok, Sir”.

The online taxi drove to east, tracing morning streets of Solo City. It was a national holiday, Islamic New Year, and streets were deserted. I arrived in ten minutes and entered parking area. The first glance was a large green nameboard with words “Serabi Notosuman”, this was the famous Solo City snack. I should try it or at least bought it as a souvenir.

Parking area.
Production area.

In a corner, six production employees were busy working on making serabi. Those employees deftly handled more than a hundred mini serabi pans, carried large basin of dough from the kitchen, greased each pan with oil using a round brush, poured the dough with a distinctive hand shake to form a thin layer over the puddle of dough, then covering the pan for three minutes to produce a cooked serabi. Hot serabi were started to be lifted one by one using a small taper and then were cooled on top of tampah*3, then were wrapped in banana leaves to be ready to sell to buyers. Indeed, the serabi which sold in this outlet were fresh serabi because they were directly taken from the stove.

I entered the inner room, it turned out that this outlet didn’t only provide serabi. But it also provided some other traditional culinaries such as intip, jenang, lanting, jipang*4 and others.

Selling room.

Serabi Notosuman itself was almost a century old, had a distinctive and savory taste of coconut milk. That morning, I chose to order two kinds of serabi, plain serabi and chocolate ones at a price of IDR. 2,000 per piece to bring as a souvenir.

Located on Mohammad Yamin Street, this outlet operated from 06:00 to 17:00. This culinary based on rice flour and coconut milk had two outlets with different owners, namely Serabi Notosuman Ny. Handayani, which was characterized by its orange color packaging and Serabi Notosuman Ny. Lidia with green color packaging.

So, take your time to stop by at Serabi Notosuman when traveling to Solo.

Note:

Waringin Kurung Sakembaran*1: The twin banyan tree is full of magic in the middle of royal’ south square

Serabi*2, one of the most common snacks in the market when visiting Java

tampah*3 is tray which is made from woven bamboo

intip, jenang, lanting, jipang*4 are typical Javanese snacks

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Soaking “Kebo Bule” in “Alun-Alun Kidul”

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<—-Previous Story

My success in enjoying Tahok made my morning worthwhile because I could enjoy again one of many typical Solo City’s culinary. My third day in Batik City continued. The limit was this afternoon when I have to leave Solo City to return to capital city.

Now I was standing back in front of Gede Hardjonagoro Traditional Market’s gate, waiting for an online taxi to came and picked me up. Not long after, a white Toyota Agya stopped its speed right in front of market gate. I walked towards it and the driver seemed to understand that I was the passenger who he would pick up.

“Alun-Alun Kidul, Sir“, I confirmed the destination.

“It’s quiet in the morning. You should have come there at night, Sir, it will definitely be festive”, online taxi driver provided information.

“What festivy is on the night, Sir?“

“Usually, families will play with their children to try various game rides, and young people will hangout around to enjoying culinary delights, Sir“, he lightly said.

“Oh, I see….but I just went there for a survey, Sir, just a moment. The main event is still two months away”.

“I see, Sir. It’s okay“

Ten minutes later, I arrived at Alun-Alun Kidul (South Square), in Gajahan area. Dropped off at east side of square. My attention was immediately fixed on two large banyan trees in the middle of square. The square still looked very quiet that morning.

“OOOngng… .aa… .kkk ……… OOOngng… .aa… .kkk”.

“Ah, that’s a buffalo sound“, I thought.

I quickly turned around to voice origin, a little further behind me.

“Kebo Bule“, I was shocked.

“Kyai Slamet” Buffaloes was othet their nickname.

Five buffalos were seen in an iron cage. That was “Kebo Bule” (“Albino Buffalo”) which was usually paraded at “Malam Satu Suro” (“1st Muharram”) celebration parade around Solo City. It was a routine event which held by Surakarta Hadiningrat Palace to welcoming the arrival of Islamic New Year 1 Muharram.

Illustration of “Malam Satu Suro” celebration (Source: SINDOnews).

I knew that “Kebo Bule” parade had been done overnight when I fell asleep at Amaris Hotel Sriwedari. Even though I had invited Rahadian to watch the celebration. But our bodies were just too tired after doing some survey for fourteen hours yesterday. So we chose to sleep and enjoy hotel facilities.

It seemed that that buffaloes was rested in Alun-Alun Kidul after last night parade, “Kandang Mahesa” is their cage’s name. Very lucky, I could see that buffaloes up close even I could touch their head.

For a long time I watched “Kebo Bule” behavior with several people who deliberately stopped from their vehicle to take a brief look at that sacred buffalo.

In the end, I decided to walk towards the middle of square to feel a magical nuance when I passed that two twin banyan trees. I thought that magical power of that banyan tree was just a myth, but I also didn’t blame it when many people believed in magical power of that trees. People’s beliefs were different each other and couldn’t be enforced.

“Waringin Kurung Sakembaran” (the name of that twin banyan tree) which have magical powers in the eyes of Solo City’s people.

Not felt, the sun began to rise and its heat began to pierce into the square. I have to get away from here.

Next Story—->

Visiting Surakarta Hadiningrat Palace

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<—-Previous Story

Soundly resting in Amaris Hotel Sriwedari made me woke up just as Shubuh call to prayer rang out. Taking time to enjoy the dawn from behind a glass window in the room, I decided to splash under the shower with warm water afterwards. I deliberately lingered under the shower, perfecting my muscle relaxation after since two day before I had to chase with time doing lots of survey agendas exploring Solo City.

After more than half an hour of bathing, I immediately cleaned up, tidied up my bag and prepared myself for my third day of survey. On exactly seven in the morning, I was at hotel’s restaurant for breakfast. While Rahadian, my Vice Chair of Marketing Conference, had been in the restaurant since half an hour ago. He leaned closer to my dining table when I ate fried rice combined with mendoan*1 and hot coffee. We chatted and discussed about the last survey that day.

After thirty minutes in enjoying a variety of restaurant menu, Rahadian and I started ordering an online taxi for heading east to Baluwarti area. That morning the official palace belonging to Surakarta Sunanate became the first survey destination on my third day in Solo. Shortly waiting in the lobby, a black Toyota Agya came to pick us up. I immediately got into front seat and Rahadian at back, then that online taxi started went for two kilometers in ten minutes to reach the destination.

The palace building was 277 years old.

Fifteen minutes before eight o’clock, I arrived at Surakarta Hadiningrat Palace. That day, I planned to shorten our survey time because Rahadian would come home early by catching Lodaya train departure to Bandung at 13:00 hours. Therefore, I went to palace when its operating hours weren’t yet opened.

Rahadian and I enjoyed palace frontyard which also functioned as a one-way traffic lane. But there was one part of palace building which really stole our attention, i.e a thirty meter high tower which was visible from palace frontyard. That was Sanggabuwana Tower which was founded 38 years after palace building was built. It could be guessed that this tower functioned as a watchtower because this palace was founded during Dutch colonialism era.

But it was said that the tower was also used to meet Nyi Roro Kidul*2 “The Queen of South Sea” by Sri Susuhan Pakubuwono III.

Like an city planning of the ancient kingdom era, Surakarta Hadiningrat Palace was flanked by square, i.e Alun-Alun Lor (North Square) and Alun-Alun Kidul (South Square). Alur-Alur Lor was a busier square, this was where the “Sekatenan” (Night Market) was held to commemorate the Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday every year.

So to explore area around the palace, I started to continue my journey to Alun-Alun Lor by walking. Alun-Alun Lor was no more than half a kilometer from palace and could be reached by walking in ten minutes.

What were destinations around Alun-Alun Lor?

Note:

Mendoan*1  is a type of fried food that comes from the residency of Banyumas, Central Java, Indonesia

Nyi Roro Kidul*2 is an Indonesian goddess of the sea. She is the Queen of the Southern Sea (Indian Ocean) in Sundanese and Javanese mythology

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