Solo The Spirit of Java – oldies

BUILT in the reign of Djoko Tingkir (the predecessor of the Pajang Royal Family), this is the first mosque in the Pajang Kingdom. Before that, it was a Hindu sanctuary run by a monk. As more people were converting to Islam no violence had happened, the muslims took it over peacefully and began using it as their mosque.

Following this, a pesantren (moslem monastery) was set up and soon quite a lot of santris (traditional muslim students) lived there. It is said that there was such a huge number of santris that the monastic kitchen never stopped producing smoke: their cooks being always ready to provide rice. For that reason, the neighbourhood is know as ‘Kampung Belukan’ (‘beluk’ means ’smoke’ and ‘kampung’, ‘village) to this day.

The one who took care of this mosque was Kyai Ageng Henis (the grandfather of Susuhunan Paku Buwono II). Like other mosques, Masjid Laweyan was used for wedding, divorce, and marital reconciliation rituals, and as a burial ground. The site of the mosque is also the royal cemetery of the Pajang, Kartasura, and Kasunanan Surakarta Kingdoms.

______________________________________________________________________

The cemetery has a side entrance erected specifically for the use of Paku Buwana X when paying homage. He used it only once a year before his demise.
______________________________________________________________________

Amongst those buried on this site were

• Kyai Ageng Henis
• Susuhunan Paku Buwana II–the latter moved the Kartasura Palace to the village called Sala and later became the Palace of Kasunanan Surakarta. Some people said that Paku Buwana II wished to be buried close to the tomb of Kyai Ageng Henis so as to ‘guard’ the palace from the possible attacks of his enemies.
• Also buried there were the wife of PB V,
• Prince Widjil I of Kadilangu who served as the royal eminent literary man during the reigns of PB II and PB III, and who pioneered the moving of the palace to Surakarta,
• Nyai Ageng Pati,
• Nyai Pandanaran,
• Prabuwinoto–the youngest child of PB IX,
• the royal puppeteer who, it is said, was once invited by The Queen of the South Sea to perform his puppetry in the south sea (Indian Ocean), and
• Kyai Ageng Proboyekso–a good ghost of the north sea (Java Sea) who, with his ghost troops, shared the responsibility for the security of Kasunanan Surakarta Kingdom.

A rare tree called Nagasari and aged about 500 years can be found in this site and it symbolizes the guarding of the cemetery by the strongest dragon (naga). Another protector of this cemetery is the goddess Durga, depicted on the main gate. Together with the palace, this cemetery was renovated in the reign of PB X. A building like a pendapa (traditional Javanese hall), one of the remains of the Kartasura Palace was moved and rebuilt here.