For many years I did not set foot in Pontianak. Two associations that may be most remembered about the capital of West Kalimantan is orange and the Kapuas River. Both deserve to be icons. Pontianak oranges taste sour-sweet characteristic with thin green skin. While the Kapuas is the longest river in Indonesia’s number one. It is said that this river had been filming locations “anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid”.
Pontianak is not only geographically divided by the river, but also the demographics of the tribes who lived in, both immigrants and native. Living here ethnic Malays, Chinese, Javanese, Bugis, and Padang. They blend in harmony and give color to the city paras.
If there’s one thing not many people know about Pontianak must be about the origin of its name. Pontianak derived from the word “kuntilanak”, a legendary female ghost in a horror film that Indonesia is characterized by long hair, white dress, and high-pitched laughter. By a handful of people in neighboring countries, the term “ghost pontianak” still in use today.
My first agenda was visited palace called the Palace Pontianak Kadariyah.
Stepping on the pages of this magnificent palace, a fantasy I flew into the past. Pontianak history began in 1771 when the kingdom Abdurrachman Syarief Mempawah take great expedition in search of new homes along the Kapuas. The group had stopped at Batu Layang Island is now transformed into a royal cemetery. This is where they start to get interference from ghost pontianak.
Syarief Abdurrachman proceed to the intersection of the Kapuas and the Porcupine, opened the area for eight days, and then build a house and hall. Interval of eight years, he was inaugurated as the first king and with it also the Palace stood Kadariyah.
Palace Kadariyah still proudly stands on the banks of the Kapuas, precisely in the area in Bugis Village, with a heavy ornament features imply the Islamic empire. I noticed, other than a typical yellow paint Malays, there are many sculptures moon and stars that adorn the sides of the palace. We can see this logo shown at the entrance and the wooden walls, and greatness in the flag that flew in the courtyard.
“Sorry Mas, now the palace in mourning, so visit while closed,” greetings from the old man guards the palace struck me. It was a close relative had just died court four days ago. I so understand why the flag is only flown at half-mast.
I peeped through a crack in the front door and found the room palace that dominated the color yellow. Throne of golden king stood firm surrounded by pictures of the royal authorities, and some accessories such as hours of old sat and ceramic urns. There were a French antique mirror from the so-called “glass-thousand”. This room is still imply an aura as a place kegagahannya officials make decisions, like the oval room in the White House.
I stepped into the palace hall, set foot on a wooden board purchase (ironwood) is famous for its power-tannya. If the Java community are proud of jatinya wood, Borneo society amazed at his purchase wood. This wood is known to have extraordinary powers, even the ordinary saws would not be able to cut the stems. Surely you will not find a beautiful carved wood purchase. That said, if soaked in water for years, will purchase durable wood for dozens or even hundreds of years!
When I admire the power of purchasing wood, appeared in the distance a palace footman was mopping the floor. I peered into the bucket and see the layer of oil floating on the surface of the water. Pontianak community does have a unique habit of mixing water with diesel at a mop mop wood floors purchase. This mixture is believed to make the floor slippery and kinclong look, as well as more durable and clean. The method is interesting, as long as no one is throwing cigarette butts carelessly.
Leaving Palace Kadariyah, I walking through the palace gates toward a monument that is currently located next to the people of the market. Details are listed on marble sculpture inform the period 1312 – 1352 in Arabic. This simple monument was built as a memorial to 40-year reign of Sultan VI Pontianak, Sjarief Alkadrie Mohamad. “Sjarief” or “Syarief” is one name commonly used in West Kalimantan, especially in communities Malays. There was also a “Gusti” from Mempawah, and “Uray” from Sambas.
Continuing steps to Jami who is only 100 meters from the monument, I passed a boisterous traditional markets. Engine looks a row of moored boats on the riverbank. These boats operate every day to serve passengers who want to cross into the city.
Pontianak community dynamics since the court can not be removed from water transportation. How not, although adequate road infrastructure, the boat still holds a vital role in the city cut by the Kapuas River and Porcupine River this. Once, as I recall, more human-powered boat, canoe, but it seems progress has been encouraging substitution era manpower into the engine power 20 pk.
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