Jogjakarta and Karimunjawa Tours

Jogjakarta and Karimunjawa Tours package design for those who want to start the Karimunjawa from Jogjakarta. Jogjakarta has become one of most tourism cities in Indonesia since long time ago, because of their historical place, culture and many more. From this town you can visits Borobudur as a biggest Buddhist temple in the world, Prambanan as biggest Hinduism temple in south east Asia and Sultan’s Palace as the only active Kingdom in Indonesia.

Borobudur Temple

Borobudur is the name of a Buddhist temple located in Borobudur, Magelang, Central Java. The location of the temple is approximately 100 km to the southwest of Semarang and 40 km to the northwest of Yogyakarta. This temple was founded by Mahayana Buddhists around the year 800 AD during the reign of the Syailendra dynasty.

Borobudur Temple is similar to the Buddhist scriptures carved in the rock with the quality and quantity of carved reliefs and types of stories that are qualified and equipped with statues and stupas that are no less amazing. Borobudur Temple has approximately 2672 relief panels which are said to stretch 6 kilometres in length. UNESCO even recognized it as the largest and most comprehensive Buddhist relief ensemble in the world. Every scene and story carved into it is a masterpiece of art that is intact and extraordinarily high in value.

Today Borobudur Temple is still one of the most popular spots worldwide for Buddhist pilgrimage. Just as the temple symbolizes the path to enlightenment, the act of worship in Borobudur is performed in a walking pilgrimage.

Pilgrims will follow the passageways that go around the monument in a clockwise direction and gradually ascend, leading towards the center and most elevated stupa. The stone walls that guide the pathways are ornately carved with reliefs, providing guidance and retaining focus for those embarking the mini enlightenment journey.

During the walk, pilgrims will be presented with 1,460 narrative panels that tell different stories and teachings of Buddhism. Once pilgrims reach the circular platforms in the temple’s body, the scene changes into Buddha statues sitting inside stupas, encircling the main monument that represents enlightenment.

 Pawon temple

Pawon Temple is located in Borobudur Village, Borobudur Sub-district, Magelang District, Central Java Province. The temple, which is also called Brajanalan Temple, is 2 kilometers to the north east of Barabudhur Temple, and a kilometer to the south east of Mendut Temple. That Mendut, Pawon and Barabudhur Temples are aligned leads to a speculation that the three Buddhist temples are closely related to each other. Moreover, the three temples show similar sculpture designs on temple bodies. Poerbatjaraka, an expert, even argued that Pawon Temple was an upa angga (an integral part of) Barabudhur Temple.

The original name of this Buddhist shrine is uncertain. Pawon literally means “kitchen” in Javanese language, which is derived from the root word awu or dust. The connection to the word “dust” also suggests that this temple was probably built as a tomb or mortuary temple for a king. Pawon from the word Per-awu-an (place that contains dust), a temple that houses the dust of cremated king. However, who was the personage that entombed here is still unknown. Local people name this temple as “Bajranalan” based on the name of the village. Bajranalan is derived from the sanskrit word Vajra (thunder or also a Buddhist ceremonial tool) and Anala (fire, flame).

In the contemporary era during the full moon in May or June, Buddhists in Indonesia observe Vesak annual ritual by walking from Mendut passing through Pawon and ends at Borobudur.

Mendut Temple

Mendut Temple is a ninth-century Buddhist temple located in Mendut village, Mungkid sub-district, Magelang Regency, Central Java, Indonesia. It is a beautiful temple just three kilometres, east side from Borobudur since ever. Mendut, Borobudur and Pawon Temple are all Buddhist temples in one straight line as the tourist objects to visit when travelling to Yogyakarta. There is a mutual religious relationship between the three temples, despite the exact ritual process is unknown. This temple is also made from the dark grey andesite stone (Batu Candi in Bahasa), beautifully crafted and design among the population. It is a unique temple with beautiful relief ornaments on the temple’s wall, meanwhile, there are three big Buddha statues set inside of the temple.

Mendut was built in ninth century with many Syailendra heritages. The 26.4 metres tall temple is facing northwest. The stairs projecting from the northwest side square elevated base is adorned with Makara statue on each side, the side of the stairwall carved with bas-relief of Jataka fable narrating the animal story of buddhist teaching. The square terrace surrounding the body of the temple was meant for pradakshina or circumambulating ritual, walking clockwise around the temple.

The outer walls are adorned with bas-reliefs of Boddhisattvas (buddhist divinities), such as Avalokitesvara, Maitreya, Cunda, Ksitigarbha, Samantabhadra, Mahakarunika Avalokitesvara, Vajrapani, Manjusri, Akasagarbha, and Boddhisattvadevi Prajnaparamita among other buddhist figures. Originally the temple had two chambers, a small chamber in the front, and the large main chamber in the center. The roof and some parts of the front chamber walls are missing. The inner wall of front chamber is adorned with bas-relief of Hariti surrounds by children, Atavaka on the other side, Kalpataru, also groups of devatas divinities flying in heaven.

Prambanan Temple History

Prambanan is a magnificent spectacle and an icon of Indonesia’s cultural heritage. The temples at Prambanan were built in the 9th century and is known locally as Roro Jonggrang, coming from the legend of the ‘slender virgin’.

The biggest temple is dedicated to Shiva – the destroyer, and the two smaller ones which sit on its right and left are dedicated to Brahma, the creator, and visnhu, the sustained. The tallest temple of Prambanan is a staggering 47 meters high. Its peak visible from far away and rises high above the ruins of the other temples.

After hundreds of years of neglect, the Prambanan temple was rediscovered by CA Lons, a Dutchman, in 1733. Extended over two centuries, building at Prambanan commenced in the middle of the 9th century – around 50 years after Borobudur. Little else is known about the early history of this temple complex, although it’s thought that it may have been built by Rakai Pikatan to commemorate the return of a Hindu dynasty to sole power in Java. The whole Prambanan Plain was abandoned when the Hindu-Javanese kings moved to East Java and, in the middle of the 16th century, a great earthquake toppled many of the temples.

Prambanan remained in ruins for years, its demise accelerated by treasure hunters and locals searching for building materials. While efforts were made in 1885 to clear the site, it was not until 1937 that reconstruction was first attempted. Most temples have now been restored to some extent, and, like Borobudur, Prambanan was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991.

Sultan’s Palace

The Kraton (also spelled keraton or karaton) or the Palace of Yogyakarta, is a grand complex that was meticulously planned to reflect the Javanese cosmos. The Kraton or sultan’s Palace was built in the centre, facing directly north towards the majestic Mount Merapi. Its south side was built facing the Indian Ocean, believed to be the abode of Kanjeng Ratu Loro Kidul, the Queen of the South Seas and the mystical consort of the Sultan. At this place tourists can learn and see directly on how the Javanese culture continues to live and be preserved.

Yogyakarta Palace was built by Pangeran Mangkubumi (Prince Mangkubumi) in 1755, several months after the signing of the Perjanjian Giyanti (the Agreement Giyanti). Banyan forest (Hutan Beringin) was chosen as the place for building the palace because the land was between two rivers that were considered good and protected from possible flooding. Although already hundreds of years old and were damaged by the massive earthquake in 1867, Yogyakarta Palace buildings still stand firmly and well maintained.

Karimunjawa Island

Exotic Island of Karimunjawa is an Island belongs to Central Java province, chain stretching in a northwesterly direction 83 km from Jepara Central Java. This Island is an archipelago of 27 islands with Karimunjawa as a main Island. In 2019, there were 9.784 population who lived there and mostly work as fishermen for their daily life. The vegetation consists mainly of mangrove and beach forest, although there is some lowland rain forest on Karimun Jawa. Most of the islands are surrounded by sandy beaches and fringing coral reefs. This mini archipelago is a real treasure for those who love the marine life.

Since 2001, twenty-two of the islands have been declared as National park and five others privately owned or are under the control of the Indonesian Navy. Since than, this Island become one of most tour destinations for local and foreigner in Central Java.

How to Reach the Island?

Mostly the tourist use ferry or bahari express boat to reach the Island from Jepara port, or you can choose short flight from semarang airport. For those who want to use ferry, must be ready at port around 05 : 00 AM to prapare the ticket and will be depart aat 06 : 00 Am, and Bahari express will depart at 09 : 00 AM.

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