SUMUR SANGA : THE MEDITATION PLACE OF PAKUBUWANA IX Halwa Anjumi Alvinnuri (X4) Keraton Kasunanan Surakarta is a great palace where the king of Surakarta lived. Keraton Surakarta is one of the finest examples of Javanese palace architecture, boasting lavish halls and spacious courts and pavilions. This palace was built by Sri Susuhanan Pakubuwana II in 1743 who was the king of Surakarta Sunanate at that time. He replaced the Kartasura Sunanate with the Surakarta Sunanate centered in the village of Sala because of a commotion named “Geger Pecinan”. Geger Pecinan is an ethnic Chinese rebellion that took place in the year 1740 in Kartasura Sunnanate. Pakubuwana II thought the Kartasura Sunnanate was already tainted by that rebellion because Keraton Kartasura was ruined, so he replaced and renamed the Kartasura Sunnanate to Surakarta Sunnanate. The Javanese word Sura means "courage" and Karta means "prosperity" with the hope that Surakarta will become a place where its inhabitants are people who are always brave enough to fight for the good and prosperity of the country and nation. Keraton Kasunanan Surakarta covers the entire land of the Baluwarti Fort, Alun-Alun Lor, AlunAlun Kidul, Gapura Gladag, and the Surakarta Great Mosque complex. Its total size is 157 hectares. Until now, the leader of the Surakarta Sunanate has changed up to 11 times, Pakubuwana XIII leads the current Surakarta Sunanate. In 1945, the Surakarta Sultanate was admitted to the Republic of Indonesia, Keraton Kasunanan Surakarta became the king's residence which still preserved the customs and culture of the Sunanate. Beside the palace, there is a Surakarta Sunnanate Museum. This museum exhibits the collection of Surakarta Sunnanate collections, such as objects given or gifted by European kings, replicas of palace heirlooms, photos of the kings (Pakubuwana II – Pakubuwana XIII), and gamelan. We can also see any building inside the palace, such as Panggung Sangga Buwana, Bangsal Maligi, and Sasana Handrawina. One of the interesting parts of the building in the museum is Sumur Sanga. Sumur Sanga is located on the center page of the museum. This 2x1 meter well with a depth of 6-7 meters is square and has two holes that merge underneath. At 150 years old, this well has never run dry. Sumur Sanga was named after the King of Surakarta at the time, Paku Buwono IX. The word Sanga in Javanese means nine. The place was used for Pakubuwana IX's meditation from 1861 to 1893. Pakubuwana IX is known to have done a lot of meditation during his life, so the well named with Pakubuwana IX's name, Sanga which means nine. Sumur Sanga was built during the lead of Pakubuwana II around the late 18 th century. The structure was used as both a residence for the Sultan's concubines and a location for contemplation and meditation. Water is considered a sacred element in Javanese culture, and the waters inside Sumur Sanga were used for spiritual purification and as a symbol of the Sultan's power and authority. The historical stories, Pakubuwana IX are the son of Pakubuwana VI. During the leadership of Pakubuwana VI in Surakarta Sunanate, precisely in 1830, Pakubuwana VI with Pangeran Diponegoro was exiled to Ambon by the Dutch and he died there. At the same time, Pakubuwana IX is still inside the womb of Pakubuwana VI's wife. So, the one who continued the leadership of Pakubuwana VI was his younger brother, who was later given the title Pakubuwana VII. In 1861 Pakubuwana IX began his tenure replacing Pakubuwana VIII. Pakubuwono IX did a lot of meditating on the well because he was concerned for the people over the Dutch Indian colonial occupation. Especially because his father was exiled to Ambon by the Dutch and ended up dying there. For meditation, Pakubuwono IX placed a board over the well and focused on doing meditation. Because he was diligent in his meditation, he received an inner whisper that his son would be a good successor to his leadership. His son was born named Raden Mas Sayidin Malikul Kusno, who eventually succeeded to the throne and was titled Pakubuwana X. Pakubuwana IX passed away in 1893 and his throne continued to Pakubuwana X 3 weeks later. In his leadership, Pakubuwana X contributed to the national cause, and with his active participation in its fight, Pakubuwana X is recognized as an Indonesian national hero. He pioneered socio-economic growth, people's education, the creation of national identity, and national integration. Under his rule, the prestige of Surakarta Sunanate shone even more, marked by the splendor of tradition and a stable political atmosphere. One of the proofs that can be seen today is that every pillar of several buildings in the palace reads PB X which means Pakubuwana X because he renovated several buildings in the palace on a large scale during his leadership. The impact of Pakubuwana IX's meditation not only made the Sunanate under his son's leadership more advanced, but the water in the well is also believed to have many properties, such as curing diseases, bringing blessings, and staying young. Many visitors come to the Palace to ask for water with positive intentions. In addition, the water in the well is very fresh. On the scientific side, this happens because the location of the well is in the palace courtyard which is surrounded by large trees, namely gayam, banyan, and longan trees which have an impact on the water having a lot of oxygen content in the form of DOD (Dissolved Oxygen Demand) and high minerals. A lot of cultural heritage inside the Keraton Kasunanan Surakarta. This is a part of the variety of cultural richness in Indonesia, and we must appreciate it. Cultural heritage includes historical artifacts, traditions, customs, language, and other elements that have been passed on from previous generations. These elements serve as a link to the past and help people understand their history, values, and beliefs. So, we continue the link to the next generation of Indonesia and maintain the cultural and historical richness of Indonesia. Ultimately, I gained a lot of new knowledge after I visited Keraton Kasunanan Surakarta, coupled with clear explanations from Abdi Dalem as a tour guide. There was a fun fact that I just found out yesterday, such as the sand on the palace grounds is from Java’s south beach, the interior of the palace's colonnade reads PB X because of the glory of Pakubuwana X's time, Sawo Kecik Tree that planted in palace grounds to make residents in the palace have ‘becik’ character that has meaning in Java is a good character. Visiting the Keraton can thus increase one's awareness and appreciation of Indonesia's diverse cultural heritage, as well as the ongoing efforts to preserve and promote it at the national and international levels. We can also learn something from our past with how Pakubuwana led Surakarta Sunanate. ATTACHMENTS *Picture of Pakubuwana IX Source : https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakubuwana_I X *Note taking when visiting Keraton Kasunanan Surakarta *Picture of Pakubuwana X Source https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakubuwana_ X :
