indahnesia.com - Solo (Surakarta) - Introduction to Solo - The 'twin' city of Yogyakarta in Central Java

Located just 60 kilometers east of Yogyakarta, noble Solo (also known as Surakarta) generally receives far less attention from foreign visitors than its distinguished neighbor. This is curious from the point of view of most Javanese, for whom Solo is the older and more refined royal center - the arbiter of cultivated speech and aristocratic elegance in traditional Java.

This is partly because Solo and its rulers have themselves generally preferred to remain out of the limelight. Indeed, throughout the tumultuous 18th century, they had little choice, for in those year Solo's reigning Pakubuwono line was dependent upon the Dutch for military and economic support. Thereafter, the royal family became well-to-do landowners and sugar magnated - styling themselves, as did most 19th century Javanese aristocrats, after the manner of European royalty. During the Indonesian revolution, the movement against colonial power was notable in Solo by its absence.

Despite some complaining - by Yogyakartans, in particular - the Susuhunan of Solo (a titular Muslim prince) can nevertheless claim, with good reason, to be the true and rightfull heir to the central Javanese Mataram throne. The court was moved to the Solo River Valley in 1680 from the Yogya area, first to Kartasura and later, in 1745, to Surakarta. Here, the Mataram line has ruled uninterrupedly, despite losing half of the kingdom to the "upstart" ruler of Yogyakarta in 1755, a concequence of a Dutch-negotiated peace.

Picture: Entrance of the mosque

Perhaps the real reason that Solo is less well-known than Yogyakarta is that it has fewer connecting flights and is farther from the ancient monuments of Borobudur and Prambanan. But, in fact, it is only an hour from Jogja by rail or road, and is certainly worth visiting, even if for a single day.

Solo is an excellent place for the unhurried shopper who likes to explore out of the way places, in the hope of finding hidden treasures. To begin with, there is a sizeable "antique industry" here - many dealers collect and restore old European, Javanese and Chinese furniture and bric-a-brac. The starting point for any treasure hunt is Pasar Triwindu just south of the Mangkunegaran palace and behind the electronics shops on Jl. Diponegoro. Five minutes here will whet pack-rat appetites: old bottles, candelabras, Japanese teacups, Chinese coins, Dutch oil lamps, photographs, picture frames, marble-top tables and other odds and end clutter more than a dozen stalls. Bargain hard and don't be carried away by the sales pressure. There are many more shops in town where the dealers may be more reputable, the selection just as good and the prices not necessarily any higher.

Solo is also home of Indonesia's largest batik manufacturers, three of whom have showrooms in town with reasonable fixed prices for superb yard goods, shirts and dresses. Many smaller batik shops also line the main streets, but to discover why Solo calls itself the City of Batik, pay a visit to the huge textile market, besides the Grand Mosque and near the kraton. This is where the village vendors and housewives converge to buy their cloth, mostly of medium to lower quality, from scores of narrow stalls that are stacked to the rafters with a bewildering array of batik. Just be sure to know what one is doing if buying there - batik can sell for any price and it takes some experience to know what is what.

As the acknowledges center for the traditional Javanese performing arts, Solo is also the place to see an evening wayang orang dance performance or a wayang kulit shadow play or to listen to live gamelan music. It is also the place, not surprisingly, to buy the costumes, puppets and instruments associated with these arts. Ornately-carved and painted leather puppets, contotred wooden masks, gilded headdresses and even monstrous bronze gongs are available and make highly distincive gifts or house decorations.