Friday (23/09/2022), the Javanese Literature Study Program successfully held a public lecture with the topic "Yogyakarta << Versailles of Java >> Architectural History and the Making of Heritage City” which is located in the Soegondo building room 709, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada. This public lecture took place from 01.00 pm to 03.00  pm WIB and was attended by students of the UGM Javanese Literature Study Program who were interested and enthusiastic about the Javanese architectural history of Yogyakarta City.

The public lecture was guided by Nurmalia Habibah, S.S., M.A., a lecturer in Javanese Literature at UGM in the field of philology, as the Master of Ceremony (MC) and Imam Prakoso, S.S., M.A., a lecturer in Javanese Literature at the UGM in the field of linguistics, as the moderator.

The speakers at this event were Dr. Helene Njoto, a researcher specializing in the history of early modern Indonesian art and architecture, particularly in the early Islamic and early colonial periods (around the 15th century to the first half of the 19th century). Since 2021, she has been part of the École Française d'Extrême-Orient (EFEO) in Jakarta, an institution under the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research that studies classical Asian civilizations through the humanities and social sciences.

(Dr. Helene Njoto (at the center) is presenting the material)

In this seminar, Dr. Helene Njoto gave a presentation to participants about the architecture of the city of Yogyakarta before the outbreak of the Diponegoro War. “After Prince Diponegoro was arrested in 1833, Yogyakarta was in a very state of collapse. However, from the ruins, it can be guessed that the City of Yogyakarta was once a great kingdom. Although not up to 1/10 of its glory remains, Yogyakarta's glory can be seen from the many large stone ruins. Even in the records of Carel Sirardus William van Hogendrop, the 46th Governor General of the Indies, Yogyakarta was referred to as Versailles of Java.” she said.

In addition, Dr. Helene Njoto also highlighted the interesting fact that Taman Sari, one of Yogyakarta's tourist destinations, was the work of a Javanese architect, not a Portuguese architect. “About 2 years ago, it was said that Taman Sari was built by a Portuguese architect because Taman Sari was built with bricks and specs. Bricks and specs are assessed very differently from wooden architecture which is synonymous with Javanese architecture. However, if examined more closely, the reality is not like that.” she explained.

She continued, “The first ruler of Yogyakarta, namely Prince Mangkubumi, was the builder of the largest construction site by a Javanese ruler to date, Taman Sari. The real Taman Sari is wide and currently only 1/3 remains, the rest is gone. Taman Sari began to be built in the early 1750s with an area of ​​about 80 square meters, to the southeast of the center of the Yogyakarta Palace. Taman Sari's architect was Prince Mangundipura. Prince Mangundipura even visited Batavia twice to seek inspiration for the construction of Taman Sari.”

After Dr. Helene Njoto's presentation, the moderator opened the question session. The participants of this public lecture showed high enthusiasm by asking various questions related to Javanese architecture.

Dr. Helene Njoto gave a message to students to want to visit relic sites from the past. “For literature students, of course, there are many things and elements that can be captured. Not only what is contained in the manuscripts, but also depicted on the remains, namely in the reliefs. Therefore, do not hesitate to go to the field. While they are still young and while these sites still exist and can be visited.”

By convening this public lecture, it is hoped that it can generate motivation and open participants insights about Javanese architecture, especially for those who are interested in making it an object of research.

"Hopefully this public lecture can add to our insights about how magnificent Javanese architecture is and can also be a motivation, especially for fellow students who will make Javanese architecture an object of research," said Imam Prakoso, S.S., M.Hum., in the closing session the public lecture.

Thursday (4/8/2022), was the first time for new students of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences to get to know their respective study programs. This is one of the agendas of PPSMB Kampung Budaya 2022, namely in the study program session. In this session, new students are introduced to various matters related to their respective study programs, such as introduction to teaching lecturers, introduction to the subjects to be studied, knowledge about the qualifications of Study Design Cards, and so on. One of these activities was carried out by new students of the 2022 Javanese Literature study program.

At the session, new students of the Javanese Literature Study Program received a warm welcome from the head of the Javanese Literature Study Program, Dr. Daru Winarti, M.Hum. along with other teaching lecturers such as Nurmalia Habibah, S.S., M.A., Imam Prakoso, S.S., M.A., Rudy Wiratama, S.I.P, M.A., and Bima Slamet Raharja, S.S., M.A. The study program session began with remarks from Ms. Daru Winarti and continued with the introduction of teaching lecturers, including lecturers who are currently studying abroad such as Zakaria Pamuji A., S.S., M.A. Those who are currently abroad participate in welcoming new students of the Javanese Literature Study Program through the zoom meeting.

In addition to remarks from the lecturers, new Javanese Literature students also received a warm welcome from the Javanese Literature Student Association, commonly called KAMASTAWA. Several students who are members of the board of the association participated in enlivening the activity. Many things were conveyed by the lecturers at the study program session at that time. Starting from messages to continue studying hard, and participating in preserving Javanese culture, to messages to always maintain the name of the Javanese Literature Study Program. Even though it was relatively short, this opportunity became a very valuable moment for new students of Javanese Literature.

Today, the quality of education in Indonesia is increasing. It should be realized that many young people have high quality and potential. This has an impact on the number of new student admission quotas at each tertiary institution, one of which is Universitas Gadjah Mada, Faculty of Cultural Sciences. Each study program in the Faculty of Cultural Sciences has the opportunity to increase the number of students who will be accepted in 2022. Of course, this opportunity is also felt by the Javanese Literature Study Program which is part of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences.

At the end of the new student re-registration period, the number of students who used to be only around 35, has now jumped to 51 people. The number that jumped to almost 100% was surprising because this number was the first time the Javanese Literature Study Program had new students with a number exceeding 35. This news was certainly surprising for the lecturers who teach in the Javanese Literature Study Program. Many did not expect that the Javanese Literature Study Program was in great demand by many new students. The condition of the increasing number of new students also requires teaching lecturers to make adjustments in classroom learning, to create a conducive learning atmosphere.

The increase in the number of new students is a source of pride academic to the Javanese Literature academic community. The diversity of individual potentials of each student provides a new color for the Javanese Literature Study Program, especially for the Faculty of Cultural Sciences. It is proven by the presence of students with such potential masters of ceremonies, dalang, sinden, pengrawit, dancers, and others. This indirectly means that the quality of human resources in the Javanese Literature Study Program is getting better and increasing from year to year.

On Saturday, August 6, 2021, the Social Community Division of the Javanese Literature Student Family (KAMASTAWA) organized the activities of "Javanese Literature Shares" and "Javanese Literature Teaches." These activities were part of the work program initiated by the Social Community Division of HMJ KAMASTAWA. The implementation of these activities involved not only the Social Community Division but also received assistance from the Scientific Division, responsible for applying its expertise in the "Javanese Literature Teaches" program.

The events "Javanese Literature Shares" and "Javanese Literature Teaches" took place at the Rumah Buah Hati orphanage, located at Gg. Surya No.24, Jomblangan, Banguntapan, Tegalrejo District, Bantul Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta. The orphanage is home to 23 children, ranging from toddlers to teenagers, under the care of seven caregivers. The majority of the orphanage's residents come from various regions in eastern Indonesia.

The day's activities commenced with the "Javanese Literature Teaches" program. It began with introductions to the orphanage's children, followed by storytelling activities conducted by Maria, a member of the Social Community Division. Subsequently, a Q&A session regarding the stories told to the orphanage's children took place. The enthusiasm displayed by the children throughout the storytelling and Q&A session was evident. Furthermore, after the Q&A, the members of HMJ KAMASTAWA invited the children to engage in relaxation exercises by giving each other massages. Additionally, there was a Q&A session about the children's aspirations, which was followed by the distribution of assistance from HMJ KAMASTAWA, along with a group photo.

The children's enthusiasm was not only evident at the beginning of the activities but also remained high until the end of the program. Even when the members of HMJ KAMASTAWA bid farewell, the children still exuded excitement. The small gifts presented to each child at the orphanage added to their enthusiasm. Although the assistance provided may not have been extensive, the hopes and prayers of HMJ KAMASTAWA were always present in every aspect of the "Javanese Literature Shares" and "Javanese Literature Teaches" work program.

Singaraja - The 9th Sarasehan Nusantara IMBASADI, held at Ganesha University of Education Singaraja, Bali, from May 12th to May 15th, 2022, has been held. The event, which carried the theme "Tresnaning Budaya, Hitaning Bhuwana: Cultural Romance towards World Harmony," spanned three days and concluded with the selection of Putra and Putri Imbasadi 2022 and an Awarding Night on May 14th.

The 9th Sarasehan Nusantara IMBASADI featured various competitions, including the National Scientific Paper Competition, Nusantara Typography Competition, Regional Pop Song Competition, Nusantara TikTok Contest, Cinematography Video Competition, and the Selection of Putra Putri Imbasadi 2022.

Delegates from the Javanese Literature Program at Gadjah Mada University participated in these activities by taking part in all the competitions. UGM's delegation was represented by Zainal Fanani (class of 2019) as the delegation leader, along with Dewi Lestari (class of 2019), Vighna Rivattyannur Hernawan (class of 2020), Nurma Aisyah (class of 2021), Adjit Royan Mustafa Ganda Sukma (class of 2021), Nanda Nursa Alya (class of 2021), and Idharul Huda (class of 2021). The first five mentioned attended the event in Bali in person, while the latter two participated virtually through Zoom Meetings, as the 9th Sarasehan Nusantara was conducted in a hybrid manner.

From these competitions, the UGM delegation achieved the following awards:

1. 2nd Place in the National Scientific Paper Competition (Vighna Rivattyannur Hernawan as the team leader, with two members: Nurma Aisyah and Idharul Huda).
2. 2nd Place in the Regional Pop Song Cover Competition (Vighna Rivattyannur Hernawan).
3. Runner-up 2 in the Putri IMBASADI 2022 Selection (Nurma Aisyah)

(National Scientific Paper Championship Acceptance)

(Regional Pop Song Cover Championship Acceptance)

(Putra Putri IMBASADI championship Acceptance)

The winning National Scientific Paper Competition, titled "Tabloid Carakita: Javanese Script across Languages as an Implementation of Cultural Harmony (A Sociolinguistic Study)," focused on Tabloid Carakita as a material object that can contribute to the preservation of Javanese script in the millennial era. It leveraged the fact that people commonly speak or use Indonesian, Javanese, and English in their daily lives.

Meanwhile, the 2nd Place Regional Pop Song Cover comprised a medley of two songs: "Jenang Gula" and "Gethuk." These songs were chosen because they contain elements of Javanese culture.  Jenang Gula song contains wangsalan, a kind of Javanese riddle. While the Gethuk song contains Javanese rhymes commonly known as parikan.

The final championship achieved was the Runner-up 2 in the Putri IMBASADI category. The selection process was rigorous, including deep interviews and staged eliminations from the top 5 to the top 3. Nurma Aisyah partnered with Gus Bija from I Gusti Bagus Sugriwa State Hindu University, both entrusted with the title of Runner-up 2.

According to the representative IMBASADI students, participating in IMBASADI provided them with valuable experiences and relationships. They expressed their gratitude to all parties who continuously supported them. IMBASADI stands as evidence that it serves as a platform for competitions and successes for students of regional languages and literature.

(Group Photo with LO Undiksha After the Closing Night)

This activity was organized by the Javanese Literature Study Program at Gadjah Mada University in collaboration with Osaka University which has been established since 2017. This year is the third year this activity has been held.

The Indonesian language short course has the goal of being an introduction to Javanese culture so that it can improve Indonesian language skills, both orally and in writing from the results of exploration of Javanese culture in Yogyakarta and Central Java.

Course Description. This Indonesian Short Course through Javanese Cultural Exoticism is a manifestation of teaching Indonesian to foreign speakers (BIPA) which was held in Yogyakarta and Central Java by inviting approximately 10 expert lecturers from Asia, Australia, Europe and America. This activity was attended by 27 Japanese students from Osaka University who were devoted to the Graduate School of Language and Culture Studies/School of Foreign Studies. The learning will be carried out for 9 days.

Learning Outcomes. Participants are expected to be able to demonstrate understanding and actively practice Indonesian, both in written and spoken form. In addition, participants are also expected to be able to produce written and oral products as well as develop the insights they have gained during the short course.

Method. The teaching method used in this Indonesian short course is a combination of face-to-face and virtual meetings. Meanwhile, the learning process is carried out by explanation, collaborative learning, self learning, and structured assignments. Theoretical knowledge is conveyed asynchronously (and some synchronous topics, offline) which is then followed by excursions to cultural heritage sites. There was also an interview session with Java Study Program students as tutors.

Time and place. The Indonesian short course will be held on 16 - 24 September 2022 in Yogyakarta and Central Java.

Implementation Schedule

The schedule can be viewed and downloaded via the link below:

http://bit.ly/JadwalKursusSingkat

Authors:

Early Anggra

Vighna Hernawan

On Sunday (December 19, 2021), the Javanese Literature Program held the second webinar as a continuation of a series of events. The webinar titled "History, Function, and Existence of Javanese Fables" was moderated by Nurma Aisyah, a student of the Javanese Literature Program from class of 2021, and accompanied by one of the Javanese Literature lecturers, Zakariya Pamuji Aminullah, S.S., M.A., as the speaker.

The "History, Function, and Existence of Javanese Fables" webinar delved into the journey of birds and monkeys from the Sanskrit tradition to the Middle Javanese era. Mr. Zakariya presented that fables are stories about animals that behave like humans. The story of animals made like humans is a metaphorical depiction. Fables predominantly feature characters that are either human or deities. Usually, the animal characters used in fables play crucial roles in society, such as cows, horses, snakes, goats, birds, and others. The webinar also discussed the Pancatantra, a literary work that takes the form of framed stories.

After the presentation session, the webinar proceeded with a Q&A session. There were eight questioners, each with one question. One of the interesting questions, which might also be a common inquiry from the public, came from Irfan Wahyu, a Javanese Literature student. Irfan asked about the popularity of fables, specifically those involving the character "kancil" (mouse deer), and why fables are mainly targeted at children. Mr. Zakariya explained that Indonesian education has not adapted to fables effectively. Some efforts have been made by libraries to implement the transliteration of manuscripts, and academic communities are encouraged to disseminate these transliterations to the wider public. From the perspective of researchers, they face a significant responsibility in transforming the contents of manuscripts into works that can be accessible to the broader society.

The conclusion drawn from the "History, Function, and Existence of Javanese Fables" webinar is that fables serve as a medium between humans and animals. Meanwhile, the Pancatantra has political motives and has spread widely across the world. The popular story of birds and monkeys, despite having various versions, shares a common message.

The name "Cakra Manggala" has been chosen as the cabinet name by the daily executive board of the Family of Javanese Literature Students (KAMASTAWA) for the period 2022/2023. The name "Cakra Manggala" is derived from "cakra," symbolizing a round-toothed weapon. From "cakra," the daily executive board holds high hopes that the Cakra Manggala cabinet will work diligently and firmly in their respective fields. Additionally, "cakra" can also be interpreted as precision or meticulousness. Through this analogy, the Cakra Manggala cabinet is expected to work with utmost diligence.

On the other hand, "manggala" is inspired by the headgear worn by Sultan Agung. "Manggala" symbolizes blessings and leadership, thereby making this cabinet a symbol of continuous blessings and good fortune and a driving force for Javanese Literature students as a whole. Therefore, with the name "Cakra Manggala," the daily executive board hopes that the Cakra Manggala cabinet will work together with precision and optimal coordination, both in their respective fields and as a whole, while always being filled with blessings and good fortune in every process they undergo.

In this new management, the members of the Cakra Manggala cabinet are active undergraduate students in their second and third years of study. The cabinet consists of 46 members, with one person as the president, one vice chairman, two treasurers, two secretaries, five members in the Human Resources Development division, six members in the Public Relations and Organization division, six members in the Social Community division, four members in the Media and Information division, five members in the Scientific division, five members in the Entrepreneurship and Logistics division, and nine members in the Interest and Talent division.

Through various planned programs and guidance from Mr. Imam Prakoso as the advisor, the daily executive board of KAMASTAWA, in the Cakra Manggala cabinet, aspires to uphold the reputation of Javanese Literature and contribute optimally to the Javanese Literature study program. Moreover, the success of all the planned programs is also dependent on the support of all Javanese Literature students. Thus, the new leadership aims for optimal cooperation so that both the executives and non-executive members can work together to maintain the name of Javanese Literature.