Walking from Pasarean Mataram, around 100 meters south, I arrive at Batu Gilang Historical site. It’s located at Desa Jagalan, Kecamatan Banguntapan, Bantul, Yogyakarta.
Visitors can also come here by bus (TransJogja) #3A and #3B or city bus #11.
The stone slab is made from andesite rock from Lipuro forest, with a size of 2 x 2 meters and height around 30 cm. The Master Key tells said that this used to be Panembahan Senopati throne seat when the Mataram Sultanate established in 1509.
On the top front of the throne, there’s a curve mark left. The story said that Ki Ageng Mangir was Penembahan Senopati’s son-in-law and an enemy of the Sultanate. Knowing this, Penembahan Senopati used Apus Krama tactic, and asked his daughter, Ni Roro Pembayun, to seduce, marry and summoned Ki Ageng Mangir to the palace. Reluctantly, he went to see the Sultan because he was now the Sultan’s son in law. It was a rule to leave all weapons outside the gate, but he hid an heirloom weapon (some says it’s a keris) to kill the Sultan. Penembahan Senopati and Ki Ageng Mangir fight with magic. The Sultan then banged his son-in-law on his throne, killing the later.
Ki Ageng Mangir was buried in the Royal Mataram cemetery but half his body is inside and a half is outside the wall; to illustrate that he is an enemy and also part of the royal family.
Batu Gatheng was said to be the prince, Raden Ronggo’s, toys to play catch with magical power. Another version is that Batu Gatheng is canon balls from Kraton Surakarta. The balls have a diameter of 15 cm, 27 cm, and 31 cm.
Batu Genthong is a water container used by Ki Juru Mertani and Ki Ageng Giring for wudhu (water purification before praying). Legend has it that Raden Ronggo is angry at Ki Juru Mertani for his lecture and punctured the water container’s mouth with his fingers.
From here, the Key Master shows the way to another site. 100 or 150 meters further south there’s an inner city wall called Benteng (Fort) Cepuri. The wall was thick and made of the stone blocks was built in 1585 or 1507 in Javanese year and finished in 1594 or 1516 in Javanese year. I didn’t get to see the wall that was said shaped like Bokong (butt) Semar (one of the shadow puppet/wayang character) nor find the Raden Ronggo wall.
Using motorbike (Gojek) again to the city center, I ended up having a cup of coffee and rest before back to the hotel. This concluded my trip to Yogyakarta (until next time). Yogyakarta is not a city that I can only visit once. I even haven’t explored the silversmithing and the Joglo houses in Kota Gede!
I have to come again because there’s so many things to see and stories/legends to learn.
Yogyakarta Travel:
- [Travel] Yogyakarta | On Arrival
- [Travel] Yogyakarta | Kraton Yogyakarta, Designed by Javanese Culture and Believes
- [Travel] Yogyakarta | the House of Raminten, Peculiar and Eclectic Style.
- [Travel] Yogyakarta | Prambanan, The Legend of the Cursed Princess and the Gods
- [Travel] Yogyakarta | Candi Ijo, City Overview from the Highest Temple in Yogyakarta
- [Travel] Yogyakarta | The Beauty Queen, Ratu Boko
- [Travel] Yogyakarta | Heavenly Sunrise from Punthuk Setumbu
- [Travel] Yogyakarta | Borobudur, Largest 3D Narrative of Buddha’s Journey to Enlightenment
- [Travel] Yogyakarta |Taman Sari, Leasure complex for the Sultan and His Concubines
- [Travel] Yogyakarta | The Two-Face of Jogjakarta Art – Tradition Meet Modern Art
- [Travel] Yogyakarta | Affandi, The Expressionist Painter and the Earliest Advertiser in Indonesia
- [Travel] Yogyakarta | Good Morning Pasar Legi Kotagede
- [Travel] Yogyakarta | The Last Resting Place for The Mataram Sultans at Kotagede
- [Travel] Yogyakarta | The Remnants of the Mataram Sultanate at Kota Gede
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