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Tourist villages to preserve cultural heritage near Yogyakarta
Tourist villages to be established at Kleco hill in Kulonprogo regency aim to re-enliven historical sites as well as preserve local culture and tradition.
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Kleco summit offers panoramic views on Tinalah River, which curves its way through forests and villages, green rice fields and the landscape of the Menoreh hills (JP/Bambang Muryanto)
A group of men wearing the traditional Javanese kasatriyan were singing songs known as geguritan expressing hopes and praises to God. The ritual took place at a natural spring called Ngancar in Purwoharjo village of Kulonprogo regency, Yogyakarta.
They took a little bit of water and poured it into a jug and later carried the jug, along with flowers and food for offerings, to the top of Kleco hill, 700 meters above sea level.
Following the procession, residents and tourists feasted on nasi tiwul (cassava rice) and boiled vegetables. Performances comprising the classic jathilan (toy horse) dance, traditional music, a poetry reading and more dances were staged to entertain residents and tourists.
“This procession is a form of appreciation to God, as the spring of Ngancar keeps giving water year-round to fulfill the needs of residents around Kleco hill,” the guardian of Ngancar spring, Wargilan, told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.
Local residents also helped to preserve the water source by planting trees at Kleco hill. Wargilan said whoever cuts trees down must plant new ones to make up for it.
Wahjudi Djaja, an initiator of the Kleco Peak tourism initiative, said residents had been carrying out the procession in a modest way since 1942, but in the past two years, there were efforts for a more sophisticated procession. The idea is to promote Purwoharjo as a tourist village managed by its residents, with Kleco hill as the main attraction.
Visitors can indulge in the panoramic view from the peak of Kleco hill, overlooking Tinalah River that curves through the trees and villages, green rice fields and the landscape of the Menoreh hills.
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Prince Diponegoro, one of Indonesia’s national heroes, is said to have stopped at the summit of Kleco during his guerilla struggle in the 1820s. He is believed to have worked on his strategy to fight the Dutch colonial forces while stopping by at the summit.
“Kleco summit is therefore a tourist site with an attractive combination of panoramic views and historical background,” said Wahjudi.
He went on to say that the tourist village was about more than just augmenting residents’ income. The tourist village was a gateway to enliven the historical site as well as preserve local culture and tradition.
Wahjudi expressed concern over modernization rapidly invading Kulonprogo, not least because of the construction of the new airport, New Yogyakarta International Airport (NYIA). He is worried that consumerism will corrupt the cultural identity of residents in the regency.
“If their [original] culture is left behind, what else is there to be proud of?” Wahjudi voiced his worry.
His response is the establishment of tourist villages in four districts, namely Nanggulan, Kalibawang, Samigaluh and Girimulyo. The names of the four districts have been merged into the portmanteau Dewi Nawangsari, a half-goddess character of Javanese folklore.
That day, the Among Budoyo group performed to remind the residents of their roots and history. (mut)
