K.H. Abdurrahman Wahid

A state funeral for Abdurrahman Wahid, Indonesia’s former president has been held at his birthplace East Java.

Wahid, more commonly known as Gus Dur, helped put the country onto the path to democracy, following the fall of Suharto.

He  was Indonesia’s fourth president, and also gained a reputation for religious tolerance and reformist policies.

Flags were flying at half mast as a sign of respect for Wahid, who died in hospital on Wednesday  evening aged 69 due to complications arising from diabetes and
stroke.

In a nationally-televised address, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the president, called on Indonesians to pay Wahid their “highest respects”.

SOURCE : http://english.aljazeera.net

According to the history of dance tor-tor used in rituals associated with spirits, which spirits are summoned and “entered” into the stone statues (a symbol of the ancestors), then the statue is like a dance move but the movements stiff. Movements include leg movements (tiptoe, tiptoe) and hand movements. Type tor-tor dance vary, there is the so-called tortor Pangurason (dance cleansing)

This dance is usually held at a large party which first cleaned the place and location of the party before the party began to be away from danger by using lime.here are also tor-tor Sipitu Petri (Dance of the seven bowls).This dance usually performed at the inauguration of a king, this dance is also from the 7th heaven girls shower disebuah mountaintop lake pusuk buhit along with the arrival piso sipitu sasarung (seven knife sheath). Then tor-mentor is a Panaluan Single ritual culture.Usually performed when a disaster-stricken village, then the date panaluan danced by the shaman to be guided solutions to solve the problem.For a single rod is panaluan magic combination of Banua Natolu Debata Gijjang (Upper World), Banua Tonga (Middle) and Banua Toru (Under World) Tor-Tor on today for Batak people are no longer just assumed with the spirit world, but it became a art for Tor Tor-culture becomes a tool in every activity Batak indigenous people.

SOURCE : http://budaya-indonesia.org

Scholar Dormentory or Rusunawa (riauku.wordpress.com)

After the end of the struggle to seize and defend the independence, the founder of the Foundation pour thoughts and energies to the independence. Based on internal growth and development of community Pekanbaru state, then the independence struggle increasingly to the fore. Arose the idea to establish schools and institutions of Islamic education.
Year 1951 established the Islamic Junior Secondary School (SMPI) and the School of Islamic Peoples (SRI), a few years later expanded arable areas of work, and the Legal Foundation was established on March 30, 1957 with the establishment of a Legal Entity of Islamic Education Institute (LPI) with the Deed No. 10 1957. In the same year formed School of Islamic Higher Education Preparation, unfortunately only went one year.
Recognizing the challenges to be faced by a region especially associated with the need for power – which experts have the education, then after the establishment of Riau Province, then some promoters / community leaders of Dt. Wan Abdurrahman, Soeman Hasibuan, H. Zaini Kunin, HA Malik, H. Bakri Sulaiman, A. Kadir Abbas, SH, and H.A. Hamid Sulaiman founded the Islamic University of Riau (UIR) precisely on September 4, 1962, the first class filled by A. Abbas Kadir, SH.
At the beginning of the establishment of the Islamic University of Riau only one faculty only, namely the religious faculty with two departments namely the Department of Justice and Department Tarbiyah, with the Dean of the First A. Abbas Kadir, SH.

SOURCE:  http://www.uir.ac.id

State own aircraft manufacturer PT Dirgantara Indonesia will soon complete productions of three Super Puma helicopters ordered by the Air Force.

PT DI had previously finished the production of seven out of the 16 Super Puma helicopters ordered by the Air Force.

“Of the remaining nine units, three units are in the process of completion, one is 90 percent completed and is expected to fly in the next two months, and two units are 60-70 percent completed,” President Director of PT DI Budi Santoso told ANTARA here on Monday.

The orders of the 16 Super Puma NAS 332 helicopters and their spare parts from PT DI is based on a purchase contract no. 1010 in 1998.

The completed seven helicopters had been delivered to the Air Force, and the production works of the remaining nine units had been hampered by a lack of funds.

With the planned completion of three Super Puma NAS 332 helicopters, the Indonesian Air Force would get 10 units of its 16 orders.

“The remaining (6 helicopters), will be modified into Super Puma II or Cougar which have newer technologies,” PT DI chief said.

The modification, which is acquired from the cooperation between PT DI and Eurocopter of France, is meant to dominate the market of helicopters special for the Air Force in the Asian region.

SOURCE : http://www.antara.co.id

Ondel-ondel for sale

One form shows the Betawi people who often displayed in people’s parties are ondel-ondel. It seems playing ondel-ondel ancestor or ancestors who always keep their grandchildren or a resident of a village.

Ondel-ondel the form of a large doll that is about ± 2.5 m with a diameter of ± 80 cm, made of woven bamboo is prepared in such a way that easily carried from dalarnnya. Part of the face mask or a mask, with a head of hair made from palm fiber. Ondel-ondel faces of men in red paint, while the women painted in white color. These forms show many similarities to those in several other areas.

In Pasundan known as Badawang, in Central Java Beans called Barongan, while in Bali is known as Barong Landung. According to estimates of the show’s been around since before the spread of Islam in Java.

Ondel-ondel original function as a repellent reinforcements or interruption of wandering spirits. Today ondel-ondel is usually used to add colorful folk festivals or for welcoming guests of honor, misainya at the inauguration of the new building completed. No matter how swift currents of modernization, ondel-ondel still survive and become trimmer face the Jakarta metropolitan city.

SOURCE : http://id.wikipedia.org

Monas @ night

The National Monument (Indonesian: Monumen Nasional (Monas)) is a 422 ft (128.7 m) tower in Central Jakarta, symbolizing the fight for Indonesia‘s independence. Construction began in 1961 under the direction of President Sukarno and the monument was opened to the public in 1975. It is topped by a flame covered with gold foil.

After the Indonesian government returned to Jakarta from Yogyakarta in 1950 following the Dutch recognition of Indonesian independence, President Sukarno began to contemplate the construction of a national monument comparable to the Eiffel Tower on the square in front of the presidential palace. On 17 August 1954, a National Monument Committee was established and a design competition was held in 1955. This attracted 51 entries, but only one design, by Frederich Silaban, met any of the criteria determined by the committee, which included reflecting the character of Indonesia in a building capable of lasting for centuries. A repeat competition was held in 1960, but once again, none of the 136 entries met the criteria. The chairman of the jury team then asked Silaban to show his design to Sukarno. However, Sukarno did not like the design as he wanted the monument to be in the form of a linga and yoni. Silaban was asked to design such a monument, but his design was so for a monument so large that it would have been unaffordable given the economic conditions at the time. Silaban refused to design a smaller monument, suggesting that construction be delayed until the Indonesian economy improved. Sukarno then asked the architect R.M. Soedarsono to continue with the design. Soedarsono incorporated the numbers 17, 8 and 45, representing the 17 August 1945 Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, in the dimensions of the monument.

Construction proceeded in three stages. The first period, from 1961/1962 – 1964/1965 began with the official start of construction on 17 August 1961 with Sukarno ceremonially driving in the first concrete pile. A total of 284 piles were used for the foundation block. A further 360 piles were driven in for the museum foundations, with work being completed in March 1962. The walls of the museum in the base were completed by October. Construction of the obelisk than commenced and was finished in August 1963. Work in the second stage, from 1966 to 1968 was delayed by shortages of funding and the aftermath of the 30 September Movement coup attempt. In the final phase, from 1969-1976, the dioramas for the historical museum were added. Problems remained once construction was complete, and work was needed to solve problems with water leaking into the museum. The monument was officially opened to the public on 12 July 1975.

The location of the construction site was formerly known as Merdeka Square.

SOURCE : http://en.wikipedia.org

Rendang

Rendang is a dish which originated from the Minangkabau ethnic group of Indonesia, and is now commonly served across the country. One of the characteristic foods of Minangkabau culture, it is served at ceremonial occasions and to honour guests. Also popular in Malaysia and Singapore, rendang is traditionally prepared by the Malay community during festive occasions. Though rendang is sometimes described as being like a curry, and the name is sometimes applied to curried meat dishes in Malaysia, authentic rendang is nothing like a curry. In Malay classical literature, rendang is mentioned in Hikayat Amir Hamzah as early as the 1550s.

Rendang is made from beef (or occasionally chicken, mutton, water buffalo, duck, or vegetables like jackfruit or cassava) slowly cooked in coconut milk and spices for several hours until almost all the liquid is gone, allowing the meat to absorb the spicy condiments. The cooking process changes from boiling to frying as the liquid evaporates. The slow cooking process allows the meat to absorb all the spices and to become tender. The spices may include ginger, galangal, turmeric leaf, lemon grass and chillies. Chicken or duck rendang also contains tamarind and is usually not cooked for as long as beef rendang.

SOURCE : http://en.wikipedia.org

Mak Yong

Mak yong or makyung is a traditional form of dance-drama from northern Malaysia,  particularly the state of Kelantan. its also found in Riau islands, and Riau (Indonesia). In Malaysia, It was banned by the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party in 1991 because of its animist and Hindu-Buddhist roots which pre-date Islam in the Asian region by far. In 2005 UNESCO declared mak yong a “Masterpiece Of The Oral And Intangible Heritage Of Humanity”. The late Cik Ning was a leading mak yong performer in the 1980s.

Mak yong is considered the most authentic and representative of Malay performing arts because it is mostly untouched by external sources. Although most traditional Malay dances were influenced by India, Java and other parts of Southeast Asia, mak yong’s singing and musical repertoire are unique. Of the major stories performed in mak yong, most are derived from Kelantan-Pattani mythology. Some of those obtained from outside the Malayan-Thai region have now died out elsewhere such as Anak Raja Gondang, a story originally from the Jataka tales but now almost unknown in India.

A performance begins by paying respect to the spirits (semah kumpung) with an offering. This is followed by dancing, acting and improvised dialogues. Stories were presented in a series of three hour performances over several nights. The lead dancer is called the pak yong and dresses as a king. The cast usually includes a queen in second lead, palace girls and jesters. Traditionally, all performers were female except for the clowns who are always male. A group called Jong Dongdang sings and dances in between chapters and at the story’s closing. The mak yong orchestra is small with the main instruments played being the three-stringed spiked lute, drum (gendang) and a pair of gong. It may also include the flute (serunai), keduk drums and small cymbals (kesi).

Today there are less than ten veteran mak yong performers. Although there have been a few attempts to revive the art form, seasoned performers have noted a clear difference between the commercialised mak yong of urban dancers when compared with the movements of rural performers. Not many young people are willing to undergo the rigorous apprenticeship so the art is now on the decline.

SOURCE : http://en.wikipedia.org