GARUT REGENCY

Garut is a Regency in the West Java province of Indonesia. Garut Regency Its area is 3,065.19 km² (1,183.48 mi²). Geographically, it lies between 6°57′34″ – 7°44′57″ South latitude and 107°24′34″ – 108°7′34″ East longitude.

Geography

In general, Garut has a cool but tropical climate, with an average temperature of 24°C (76°F). Average annual rainfall is 2,590 mm (102 inches). This area includes valley territory surrounded by volcanoes (Mount Karacak: 1,838 m, Mount Cikuray: 2,821 m, Mount Guntur: 2,249 m, Mount Papandayan: 2,622 m) on the northern side, with average heights of 700–750 m above sea level. Streams of solidified lava are present on their slopes.

History

On March 2, 1811, the Balubur Limbangan Regency was defeated by Governor General Herman W. Daendels (of the Dutch Colonial Army), and Regent Tumenggung Wangsakusumah II resigned. Balubur Limbangan Regency comprised 6 sub-districts: Balubur, Malangbong, Wanaraja, Wanakerta, Cibeureum and Papandak.
On February 16, 1813, a new Limbangan Regency was founded by Lt. Governor Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles which became Garut Regency. RAA. Adiwijaya was the first Regent of Garut Regency. He governed from 1813 until 1821. He was well-known for his call of Dalem Cipeujeuh.
Garut regency consists of 42 sub-districts and 419 rural districts with 2,173,623 people. Garut constitutes the buffer land and hinterland for the development of Bandung Raja's territory. It has a strategic position and acts as the supplier for the needs of Bandung municipality and regency's populations.
The Garut Regency has two distinct topographical areas:

• Northern Garut consists of highlands which constitute the largest rice fields in Garut
• Southern Garut mostly consists of sloping land and twelve rivers which flow south, emptying into the Indian Ocean

Tourist resorts are present in Garut Regency, with coastal views, and others with craters, waterfalls, lakes and a hot springs.

Local produce

Land fertility varies greatly because of influence by mountains, rivers and coastal lowlands. As a result, agricultural businesses are primarily plantation-based, as well as subsistence farming and animal husbandry, followed by forest resources.
Some known products from Garut are:

• Garut Orange fruits (Jeruk Garut)

¤ Mangdogars Handycraft "Mang Dogar" as Garut Icon likes ornamen, dolls, souvenir, clothes

• Garut Lamb (Domba Garut)
• Dodol Garut (a snack)
• Vetiver Root Oil (Andropogon zizanioides)
• Batik Tulis Garutan (hand painted clothes)
• Silk clothes
• Gemstones
• Leather crafts
• Bamboo crafts

 

MOUNT TANGKUBAN PERAHU

Tangkuban Perahu (spelt Tangkuban Parahu in the local Sundanese dialect) is a dormant volcano 30 km north of the city of Bandung, the provincial capital of West Java, Indonesia. It last erupted in 1959. It is a popular tourist attraction where tourists can hike or ride to the edge of the crater to view the hot water springs and boiling mud up close, and buy eggs cooked on the hot surface.^[2] This stratovolcano is on the island of Java and last erupted in 1983. Together with Mount Burangrang and Bukit Tunggul, those are remnants of the ancient Mount Sunda after the plinian eruption caused the Caldera to collapse.
In April 2005 the Directorate of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation raised an alert, forbidding visitors from going up the volcano. "Sensors on the slopes of the two mountains - Anak Krakatoa on the southern tip of Sumatra Island and Tangkuban Perahu in Java - picked up an increase in volcanic activity and a build up of gases, said government volcanologist Syamsul Rizal."^[3]

Eruptive History

A study conducted in 2001 determined that Tangkuban Perahu has erupted at least 30 times in the previous 40,750 years. Studies of the tephra layers within 3 km of the crater revealed that twenty one were minor eruptions and the remaining nine were major eruptions. The eruptions that occurred prior to approximately 10,000 years ago were magmatic/phreatomagmatic. The eruptions that occurred after 10,000 years ago were phreatic."^[4]

[edit] Local legend of the mountain

Main article: sangkuriang

The biggest crater, Kawah Ratu or Queen of the Craters of Mount Tangkuban Perahu, Bandung, West Java.

The name translates roughly to "upturning of (a) boat" or "upturned boat" in Sundanese, referring to the local legend of its creation. The story tells of "Dayang Sumbi", a beauty who lived in West Java. She cast away her son "Sangkuriang" for disobedience, and in her sadness was granted the power of eternal youth by the gods. After many years in exile, Sangkuriang decided to return to his home, long after the two had forgotten and failed to recognize each other. Sangkuriang fell in love with Dayang Sumbi and planned to marry her, only for Dayang Sumbi to recognize his birthmark just as he was about to go hunting. In order to prevent the marriage from taking place, Dayang Sumbi asked Sangkuriang to build a dam on the river Citarum and to build a large boat to cross the river, both before the sunrise. Sangkuriang meditated and summoned mythical ogre-like creatures -buta hejo or green giant(s)- to do his bidding. Dayang Sumbi saw that the tasks were almost completed and called on her workers to spread red silk cloths east of the city, to give the impression of impending sunrise. Sangkuriang was fooled, and upon believing that he had failed, kicked the dam and the unfinished boat, resulting in severe flooding and the creation of Tangkuban Perahu from the hull of the boat.

WALI SANGA INDONESIA

The Wali Sanga (also transcribed as Wali Songo) are revered saints of Islam in Indonesia, especially on the island of Java, because of their historic role in the Spread of Islam in Indonesia. The word wali is Arabic for "trusted one" ("guardian" in other contexts in Indonesia) or "friend of God" ("saint" in this context), while the word songo is Javanese for the number nine. Thus, the term is often translated as "9 saints".
Each man is often attributed the title sunan in Javanese, which may derive from suhun, in this context meaning "honoured".^[1]
Most of the wali were also called raden during their lifetimes, because they were members of royal houses. (See "Style and Title" section of Yogyakarta Sultanate for an explanation of Javanese nobility terms.)
The graves of Wali Sanga are venerated as locations of ziarah (ziyarat) or local pilgrimage in Java.^[2] The graves are also known as pundhen in Javanese.

Origins

Some Muslim mystics came to Java from Gujarat, India via Samudera Pasai (part of what is now Aceh). The earliest wali songo was Maulana Malik Ibrahim (originally from Samarkand) who arrived on Java in 1419 CE.
Tracing the lineage back further than Maulana Malik Ibrahim is problematic. Although silsila are listed in various Javanese royal chronicles (such as Sejarah Banten) to denote ancestral lineage, the term in Sufism refers to a lineage of teachers. Some of these spiritual lineages are cited by van Bruinessen in his study of the Banten Sultanate, particularly in regard to Sunan Gunung Jati who was an initiate of various Sufi orders.^[3]
Although popular belief sometimes refers to the wali songo as "founders" of Islam on Java, the religion was present by the time the Chinese Muslim admiral Zheng He arrived during his first voyage (1405-1407 CE).
Most of the wali songo had some Chinese ancestry; for example, Sunan Ampel (Chinese name Bong Swi Ho), Sunan Bonang (Ampel's son, Bong Ang), and Sunan Kalijaga (Gan Si Cang).^[4]

Synopsis

The composition of the nine saints varies, depending on different sources. The following list is widely accepted, but its authenticity relies much on repeated citations of a handful of early sources, reinforced as "facts" in school textbooks and other modern accounts. This list differs somewhat from the names suggested in the Babad Tanah Jawi manuscripts.

One theory about the variation of composition is: "The most probable explanation is that there was a loose council of nine religious leaders, and that as older members retired or passed away, new members were brought into this council."^[5] However, it should be borne in mind that the term "wali songo" was created retroactively by historians, and so there was no official "group of nine" that had membership. Further, the differences in chronology of the wali suggest that there might never have been a time when nine of them were alive contemporaneously.
Some of the family relationships described below are well-documented; others are less certain. Even today, it is common in Java for a family friend to be called "uncle" or "brother" despite the lack of blood relationship.

• Maulana Malik Ibrahim also known as Sunan Gresik: Arrived on Java 1404 CE, died in 1419 CE, buried in Gresik, East Java. Activities included commerce, healing, and improvement of agricultural techniques. Father of Sunan Ampel and uncle of Sunan Giri.

• Sunan Ampel: Born in Champa in 1401 CE, died in 1481 CE in Demak, Central Java. Can be considered a focal point of the wali songo: he was the son of Sunan Gresik and the father of Sunan Bonang and Sunan Dradjat. Sunan Ampel was also the cousin and father-in-law of Sunan Giri. In addition, Sunan Ampel was the grandfather of Sunan Kudus. Sunan Bonang in turn taught Sunan Kalijaga, who was the father of Sunan Muria. Sunan Ampel was also the teacher of Raden Patah.

• Sunan Giri: Born in Blambangan (now Banyuwangi, the easternmost part of Java) in 1442 CE. His father Maulana Ishak was the brother of Maulana Malik Ibrahim. Sunan Giri's grave is in Gresik near Surabaya.

• Sunan Bonang: Born in 1465 CE in Rembang (near Tuban) on the north coast of Central Java. Died in 1525 CE. Brother of Sunan Drajat. Composed songs for gamelan orchestra.

• Sunan Drajat: Born in 1470 CE. Brother of Sunan Bonang. Composed songs for gamelan orchestra.

• Sunan Kudus: Died 1550 CE, buried in Kudus. Possible originator of wayang golek puppetry.

• Sunan Kalijaga: Buried in Kadilangu. Used wayang kulit shadow puppets and gamelan music to convey spiritual teachings.

• Sunan Muria: Buried in Gunung Muria, Kudus. Son of Sunan Kalijaga and Dewi Soejinah (sister of Sunan Giri), thus grandson of Maulana Ishak.

• Sunan Gunung Jati: Buried in Cirebon. Founder and first ruler of the Banten Sultanate.

 

GENERAL SUDIRMAN

General Sudirman (January 24, 1916 - January 29, 1950; also spelled Soedirman) was the first military commander of Indonesian forces during the country's fight for independence from the Dutch in the 1940s.

Life

Sudirman was born in Bodas Karangjati village, Rembang, Purbalingga, Central Java, 24 January 1916. He studied at the Dutch Native School in Purwokerto, and then at a Muhammadiyah teacher training college in Surakarta. He worked as a teacher at the Muhammadiyah school in Cilacap.
During the Japanese occupation of Indonesia during World War II, Sudirman trained to become a battalion commander in Peta, the "homeland defense" army promoted by the Japanese.^[1] When Japan surrendered and Sukarno proclaimed Indonesian independence, he organized his Peta battalion into a Banyumas-based regiment of the Republican army to resist Dutch reoccupation of its former colony. The first major battle that he led was the Battle of Ambarawa against the British and the Dutch (November–December 1945).^[2] On 12 December he led a "coordinated attack" against British positions in Ambarawa, driving the British all the way to Semarang. The battle ended on 16 December.^[3]
On 12 November 1945 he was elected Commander-in-chief of the Army, a position he held until his death. During much of the next five years he was sick with tuberculosis, but led several guerrilla actions against the Dutch. He led the resistance to the Dutch attack on Yogyakarta, then the Republic of Indonesia's headquarters, in December 1948. Theodore Friend (2003) describes him as having "...a strangely blended samurai discipline, Marxist disposition, and raw courage."^[1]
Sudirman died in Magelang, 29 January 1950, at the age of 35 due to tuberculosis. He was buried in Heroes' Cemetery in Semaki, Yogyakarta. He received the title of National Hero of Indonesia as an Independence Defender Hero. Sudirman was the first and the youngest