Story & Photo by Arun & Piotr
In 1945 Republic of Indonesia was established, the country was young and began to write its history from the beginnings. Prelude Statehood was the declaration of independence of the country and then after the Godfathers of the Republic – President Soekarno and Hatta proclaimed Pancasila.
Pancasila is based on the five pillars the philosophy and foundation of the young republic. Children from all over the archipelago learn it by heart because they know that it is based on law and order and mutual respect of citizens of the world’s largest island state. One of the key contents of giving meaning to Pancasila is its attitude to religion and the right to believe in one God.
Indonesia should therefore be and is an example of religiously pluralistic country that although 90% is Muslim respects others professed religions within its borders. Equal rights groups and religious as enshrined in the constitution are officially recognized: Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, and recently also the followers of Confucius.
Why do I write about this? Mainly from a desire to share my thoughts observer of life in this vast and diverse country like Indonesia. While I am several months in Yogyakarta had the opportunity to witness as the time rolled around in the context of the calendar year I was a participant in all major holidays and religious ceremonies.
I admired the mystery of the sacred ceremony in the Buddhist holy day Waisak, checked with a special anointing in the temple of Borobudur.
I had a chance to sit all day long in a hotel room in Kuta, while Hindu Nyepi which prohibits any activity outside the home.
I’ve lived the holy month of Ramadan in the Muslim Javanese Yogyakarta and terminating the Idul Fitri holidays and two months later, Idul Adha the feast of sacrifice.
It’s already December and that means that come the next important holidays of one of the great monotheistic religions of the world the Christian Christmas.
I would like to refer to them in a category other than to associate them all celebrating and people not connected with the Catholic religion to.
There will be no Christmas tree so and will not also of Santa Claus in a sleigh pulled by a team of reindeer.
The only aspect which I want to make the upcoming holidays is the belief in the birth of new hope and a better tomorrow.
And this hope braids around one of the most bizarre and intriguing for me buildings in Yogyakarta. Since my first meeting with the Javanese city of Jogja attracted my attention down in the middle of the kampung deserted white church in true European style in the city center near one of the North squares, Alun Alun.
Despite its odd location plugging it like a Lego brick crowded between other buildings one can not see it around the city.
For example, the journey from the popular tourist district Prawirotaman, batik Tirtodipuran Street or Parangtritis beach to the center always falls near mysterious sacred buildings.
Nobody I ever talked about it and there is no history of this church in any book. Although the building is already there for many many years and this can not be silenced or not to see.
I picked up many times to stand somewhere near, take some pictures, and ask first encountered the old man or woman, what a mystical edifice grows here. But I have always lacked the time or the weather was not conducive to me and finally gathered up and landed a few days ago at the long-planned address.
Without any affect a long time circling around the church looking to enter the courtyard of the object. What previously seemed straightforward became unrealistic. The building is definitely closed and it precludes any attempt to penetrate.
The interview was conducted among residents of nearby houses and shops, not much expanded state of my knowledge to the test subject.
Mentioned earlier, cramped buildings in a settlement called Sayidan, practically prevents the execution of correct and beautiful photographs.
This makes it very difficult to create documentation, but gives the building an even more mysterious, not to say the nature of dark.
From the information anyway after half an hour shooting up around the building, I was able to gather, I know that the building was built during the Dutch church, built in the traditional European way. Classic, this is the home for clergy in the same complex as the temple.
Locals call it Gereja Gothic Sayidan. Gothic nickname probably because it reminds the architectural finesse of Notre Dame in Paris or other religious buildings of the Gothic era in Europe.
Obviously Sayidan Gothic church can not to be because the date of its creation from the Gothic to divide the century. But it absolutely does not diminish respect for the architect and builders.
The owner of the building is now a private person a certain even mystical by stories of locals Pak Haryono from the city of Kaliurang, the owner of the local museum of batik, Ullen Sentalu.
But the most spectacular part of the temple is several meters long statue of Christ facing the Palace of the Sultan’s Kraton, as some locals says, to bless him. And so I went back to the topic of today’s religious stories from Sayidan, Yogyakarta. Sayidan inhabitants most of them devout Muslims and how some people are quietly speculating, they were initiated closure of the temple.
I do not know anything about this and did not even try to investigate whether this is true or just a myth because it is not in my context of the Gothic church of Sayidan and my reflections about. Yogyakarta is a beautiful and very attractive tourist town, possessing treasures of world cultural heritage of UNESCO, and many more, no less charming places and objects.
The Royal City we find the Sultan Palace Kraton and the gardens of the ruler called Tamansari as well as street Maliboro always magical. Looking at the church closed and forgotten, which could be one of the points on a map that is always full of ‘becak’ rickshaws full of tourists, coming up over me an idea of how easily the city could only be rendered more attractive. And so to be able, need, and only until, a little good will and hope that I mentioned at the beginning of this story.
However, good will and hope never too much not only in relation to that described city of Yogyakarta but throughout the vast Archipelago.
Upcoming Holidays Christmas Eve, the ongoing policy debates and disputes between Jakarta and Yogyakarta about Sultan’s position and the uniqueness and special status of the city, Pancasila as the fundamental idea of Indonesia and the unique architectural beauty of the church of Sayidan awakened in me thoughts they’ve just shared.
Everyone celebrates Christmas wish you a Merry Christmas. Injured by the volcano Merapi residents of the city of Yogya and central Java I wish you hope and faith in a better tomorrow. Tourists visiting Yogyakarta and Indonesia and all together ones again, all that is good and prosperity in the coming year 2011 – I wish.
