TUGU JOGJA, A Compass in The City

September 10, 2010 | About Us | Contact Us

Explore Jogja Category : Portrait of Jogja
TUGU JOGJA, A Compass in The City

TUGU JOGJA, A Compass in The City Every city have own symbol. Paris as known as Eiffel, Jakarta known as Monas, Kuala Lumpur known as Petronas Tower also Jogjakarta known as Tugu. It's not just a city statue, but Tugu symbolizes sacred linear connecting Merapi Mountain, Ngayogyakarta Royal Palace and Parangtritis Beach. They say that Sultan used to Tugu as a compass when he had meditation in the palace.

Besides Tugu, people usually call it Pal Putih. Pal is Javanese words, means statue and Putih means white colour. Since built by Sultan Hamengkubuwono I, Tugu painted in white colour. Eliptical with ball and pointed at the top, being a statue in middle of junction of Mangkubumi Street, Diponegoro Street and Monjali Street. The street are being a main street in Yogyakarta city. People can imagine a linear connection between north and south in Yogyakarta if stand up in that streets. From the yard of Sultan's Palace, the Tugu being a point of view to see the north.

Fisrt built by Sultan Hamengkubuwono after Giyanti Agreement in 1755, 25 metres high, as a symbol of togetherness between Sultan and people against Hindia Colonial Goverment. The Giyanti Agreement also divisive Islamic Mataram Palace into two royal palace, Paku Buwana in Surakarta and Mangkubumi in Jogjakarta. The dividing two royal place making people under Mangkubumi hated Hindia Colonial Goverment.
The Hindia Colonial Goverment knowed it, and then after big earthquake in 10 June 1867, the colonial government decided to reconstruc the Tugu not in 25 metres, but only 15 metres. As we see now, the 15 metres Tugu belongs from colonial policy in the past.
In the night, Tugu glowed by yellow tungsten behind it. The dark situation sorrounding Tugu giving a great angle. Located in the middle of junction makes it being a central point in the street. Some youth usually stand in front of Tugu in the night, taking picture together.