Adventure Travel in Indonesia

As early as the seventh century, powerful Buddhist and Hindu empires challenged each other for supremacy in Indonesia: the Buddhist Srivijaya were centered in Sumatra, while the Hindu Mataram located their capital on Java. The rich architectural and cultural legacy that remains from that time forms the basis for Indonesia's national identity. In the thirteenth century, the Hindu Majapahit of Java faced a strong challenge from Muslim forces, which spread south from the Malay peninsula. Slowly losing ground, the Hindus retreated to Bali, where they remain today. The rest of the islands became Muslim, and various sultanates were established.

The sixteenth century marked the arrival of the Portuguese, the first Europeans in Indonesia. Although the Portuguese broke the Islamic hold on Indonesia, they were eventually displaced in turn by the Dutch, who named the area the Dutch East Indies. Although a revolt led by Javanese Prince Diponegoro in 1825 briefly threatened Holland's empire, Dutch rule continued until W.W.II and invasion by the Japanese. The Indonesian revolutionary nationalist movement, led by Sukarno, welcomed the Japanese as a potential force of liberation, and at the war's end the movement embarked upon a bloody war of independence against the restored Dutch rule. Although the war dragged on for four long years, from 1945-1949, the independence movement was ultimately victorious.

Turmoil characterized the first decade of Indonesian independence, until in 1957 Sukarno unified power in his own person. An attempted coup against Sukarno in 1965 brought renewed turmoil; however, the army led by General Suharto restored order and initiated a purge of communists. Eventually Suharto eased Sukarno out of the presidency and assumed office himself. Suharto's rule ushered in a period of stability and economic development.

Indonesia's varied past has produced a remarkable array of vibrant cultures,making it one of the world's most diverse and fascinating travel destinations. Today, Indonesia is the fifth most populous nation on Earth, with over 180 million citizens comprising over 300 ethnicities. Most Indonesians are of Malay or Polynesian descent, though the country's history has produced minority populations from India, China, Arabia, and Persia, as well as from European colonial powers such as Portugal, Holland, Spain, and England.

Although primarily a Muslim nation, Indonesia is marked by wide religious tolerance. Hinduism thrives on Bali, and Christianity has a significant presence on Flores, Timor, and several other islands. Indonesians speak numerous languages and dialects, but the common language is Bahasa Indonesia. English and Dutch are also widely spoken.

INDONESIAN CULTURE, ARTS AND TRADITIONS

Indonesia is culturally rich. Indonesian art and culture are intertwined with religion and age-old traditions from the time of early migrants with Western thoughts brought by Portuguese traders and Dutch colonists. The basic principles which guide life include the concepts of mutual assistance or “gotong royong” and consultations or “musyawarah” to arrive at a consensus or “mufakat” Derived from rural life, this system is still very much in use in community life throughout the country.

Though the legal system is based on the old Dutch penal code, social life as well as the rites of passage are founded on customary or “adat” law which differs from area to area. “Adat” law has a binding impact on Indonesian life and it may be concluded that this law has been instrumental in maintaining equal rights for women in the community. Religious influences on the community are variously evident from island to island.

Intertwined with religion and age-old traditions from the time of early migrants the art and culture of Indonesia is rich in itself with Western thoughts brought by Portuguese traders and Dutch colonists. The art and culture of Indonesia has been shaped around its hundreds of ethnic groups, each with cultural differences that have shifted over the centuries. Modern-day Indonesian culture is a fusion of cultural aspects from Arabic, Chinese, Malay and European sources. Indonesian art and culture has also been influenced from the ancient trading routes between the Far East and the Middle East leading to many cultural practices being strongly influenced by a multitude of religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Islam.

Language

The official language of Indonesia is ‘Indonesian’ or ‘Bahasa Indonesia’. It’s universally taught in schools and is spoken by nearly every Indonesian in business, politics, national media, education and academia. The Indonesians also speak several hundreds of local languages like ‘bahasa daerah’ as their first language. Javanese is also widely used besides other Papuan or Austronesian languages in a region of just 2.7 million people.

Religion

The government of Indonesia officially recognizes only six religions, viz Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Protestantism, Catholicism, and Confucianism. The largest religious group in Indonesia is Islam with almost 86% of Indonesians being Muslims. Indonesia is also the most populous Muslim-majority nation in the world.

Literature

Indonesia has created many internationally famous celebrated authors. There has also been a long tradition, particularly among ethnically Malay populations, of impromptu, interactive, verbal composition of poetry referred to as the ‘pantun’. Pramoedya Ananta Toer, a well-known author won the Magsaysay Award and was considered for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Chairil Anwar was also an important figure in the literature world and a member of the Generation 45 group of authors who were active in the Indonesian independence movement.

Music

Home to hundreds of forms of music, it plays an important role in Indonesia’s art and culture. Traces of its origin can be made to the islands of Java, Sumatra and Bali. ‘Gamelan’ is the traditional music from Central- and East Java and Bali. Another very popular style of music is ‘Dangdut’ which is accompanied with free dance style. This style first came up in the 1970s and is quite useful in political campaigns. Other forms of music include the Keroncong with its roots in Portugal, the soft Sasando music from West Timor and Degung and Angklung from West Java, which is played with bamboo instruments.

Dance

The traditional dances depict episodes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata from India. Traditional Javanese and Balinese tinge is also seen in the dance forms of Indonesian art and culture. The highly stylized dances of the courts of Yogyakarta and Surakarta are some of the popular variations. Mythological events of Indonesia are also depicted.

Drama and Theatre

The Javanese and Balinese shadow puppet theatre shows ‘wayang kulit’ displaying several mythological events. A traditional folk theatre, Randai of the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra, is performed during ceremonies and festivals. Music, singing, dance, drama and the silat martial art are all incorporated together and are based on the stories of the legend.

Architecture

Indonesian culture, especially its architecture has been to a great extent dominated and influenced by the Indian, although European influences have also been particularly strong since the nineteenth century. Traditional buildings in Indonesia are built on stilts with oversized saddle roofs which have been the home of the Batak and the Toraja. The Torajan use the buffalo horns, stacked one above another in front of the house as an indication of status. Scenes from the Ramayana adorn the outer walls in different colors. However, Chinese, Arab, and European architectural influences have also been quite significant in Indonesian architectur

Cuisine

Indonesians distinctive cuisine has been derived from centuries with the influence of the Chinese, European, Middle Eastern and the Indians. The staple food of most Indonesian dishes is rice served with meat and vegetables. Flavors of Vietnamese and Thai food can also be got from the cuisine of Indonesia. Spices, notably chili, and coconut milk are fundamental ingredients in most of the dishes, especially fish and chicken.

Material Art

The arts of Indonesia are many, especially Indonesian paintings which are unique works of art. The intricate and expressive Balinese paintings are quite famous and often express natural scenes and themes from the traditional dances. A long-standing tradition of sculpture can also be seen in the art and culture of Indonesia, some dating back to the Bronze and Iron Ages. Examples of sculpture illustrating the story of the life of Buddha can be seen in the temples of the 8th and the 10th century. Indonesia’s art and culture is also famous for their unique batik, ikat and songket cloth which is even popular today.

Unlike some countries art forms in Indonesia are not only based on folklore, as many were developed in the courts of former kingdoms such as in Bali, where they are part of religious ceremonies. The famous dance dramas of Java and Bali are derived from Hindu mythology and often feature fragments from the Ramayana and Mahabharata Hindu epics.

Highly stylized in movement and costume, dances and the “wayang” drama are accompanied by a full “gamelan” orchestra comprising xylophones, drums, gongs, and in some cases string instruments and flutes. Bamboo xylophones are used in North Sulawesi and the bamboo “angklung” instruments of West Java are well- known for their unique tinkling notes which can be adapted to any melody.

The “Wayang kulit” (leather puppets) of Java is performed with leather puppets held by the puppeteer, who narates the story of one of the famous episodes of the Hindu epics, the Mahabharata or the Ramayana. It is performed against a white screen while a lantern in the background casts the shadows of the characters on the screen, visible from the other side where the spectators are seated.

The “Wayang Golek” (wooden puppets) of West Java is based on the same concept. The crafts of Indonesia vary in both medium and art form. As a whole the people are artistic by nature and express themselves on canvas, wood, metals, clay and stone. The batik process of waxing and dyeing originated in Java centuries ago and classic designs have been modified with modern trends in both pattern and technology. There are several centres of Batik in Java, the major ones being Yogyakarta, Surakarta, Pekalongan and Cirebon.

Batik is also being produced in some other areas as in Bali where local designs are incorporated. Other provinces produce hand-woven cloths of gold and silver threads, silks or cottons with intricate designs. Painting are numerous all over the country, both traditional and contemporary, woodcarvings for ornamentation and furniture, silverwork and engraving form Yogyakarta and Sumatra, filgree from South Sulawesi and Bali with different styles of clay, sandstone and wood sculptures. These are but a few of the handicrafts found in Indonesia.

CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN INDONESIA

As we know , the development of Indonesian culture salalu just up and down . At first , Indonesia has vast cultural heritage of our ancestors past , things like that that Indonesia should be proud of their own population , but now-now culture of Indonesia somewhat decreased socialization residents now have many forget what Indonesian culture . The rapid advancement of globalization a love of culture wane , and this is very detrimental to the indigenous people of Indonesia. Too many foreigners living in Indonesia , the community has now developed into a modern society .. but lately more incentive to cultivate most of Indonesia Indonesian culture , evidence , beyond the more familiar than the Indonesian culture Indonesian society .

An example is the result of cultural Indonesian batik , batik latter includes materials that are of interest to the outside community . This emerging trend has been established that due batik batik is determined by UNESCO on Friday the 02 October 2009 as an Indonesian cultural heritage , and that the establishment of a national batik day .

There are a number of forces that led to the development of the social culture of Indonesia. Categorically there are 2 forces mmicu social change , First Instance , is the power of the community itself ( internal factors) , such as the change of generations and various local discovery and engineering . Second , is the strength of the outside community (external factors ) , such as the influence of contacts between cultures (culture contact) directly or dispersion ( elements ) as well as the culture changes in the environment which in turn can spur social and cultural development of the community who had to re- lives them .

Culture in the arts , Indonesia has progress . especially traditional dance has progressed quite well and have meranjak to international . But there are some parts of the Indonesian culture in claims by other countries . Here , the data of the cultures in claims by other countries :

1 . Batik of Java by Adidas

2 . Manuscripts from Riau by Malaysian government

3 . Manuscripts by the government of West Sumatra malaysia

4 . Manuscripts by the government of South Sulawesi malaysia

5 . Manuscripts by the government of Southeast Sulawesi malaysia

6 . rendang from West Sumatra by WN Person Malaysia

7 . Sambal plow from Central Java by unscrupulous WN dutch

8 . Sambal petai from Riau by unscrupulous WN dutch

9 . tempeh from Java by several foreign companies

10 . song Sayange sense of embarrassment by the Malaysian government

11 . Ponorogo reog dance by the government of East Java malaysia

12 . Soleram song from Riau by Malaysian government

13 . Injit song - injit ants from Jambi by Malaysian government

14 . Musical instruments of the Javanese gamelan malaysia government

15 . Lumping horse dance from East Java by the Malaysian government

16 . dance of West Sumatra plate by the Malaysian government

17 . Old sister song from embarrassment by the Malaysian government

18 . I kid song from homeland southeast by the Malaysian government

19 . Lawn chairs with carved ornaments typical Jepara Central Java by unscrupulous WN French

20 . Frame with ornaments typical Jepara carving of Java Tengan by unscrupulous WN english

21 . Yogyakarta batik motifs of war by the Malaysian government

22 . Silver design of bali suwarti urged by unscrupulous American WN

23 . Products made from herbs and medicinal plants native to Indonesia by shiseido Co. . Ltd.

24 . Badik pepper mashed by the Malaysian government

25 . Gayo coffee from Aceh by multinational corporations ( MNCs ) dutch

26 . Toraja coffee from South Sulawesi by Japanese companies

27 . Garinggiang indang music stream from West Sumatra by malaysia

28 . Cain Ulos by malaysia

29 . Angklung by the Malaysian government

30.  Lagu barley by the Malaysian government

31 . Pendet government of bali malaysia

From these data , it can be proved that the Indonesian people themselves less attention to a part of Indonesian culture . and Indonesia are expected to pay more attention to the part of Indonesian cultural heritage . and will now be pursued by the government to educate young people to care about such things , and further introduce the importance of the attitude of the early Indonesian cultural knowledge