Semar at Merdeka Food Court and Bakery

This is a Semar statue at the passageway that connects Jalan Purnawarman and Jalan Merdeka through the Merdeka Food Court and Bakery.

This is what Wikipedia says about Semar:

Semar is a character in Javanese mythology who frequently appears in wayang shadow plays. He is one of the punokawan (clowns), but is in fact divine and very wise. He is the dhanyang (guardian spirit) of Java, and is regarded by some as the most sacred figure of the kotak (wayang set). He is said to be the god Sang Hyang Ismaya in human form. The name Semar is said to derive from the Javanese word samar ("dim, obscure, mysterious"). He is often referred to with the honorific, "Kyai Lurah Semar" ("the venerable chief").

You can read more about it here.

You may have noticed that this photo is not of crisp and clear quality. That's because I took it with a toy camera on my cell phone. I lost (again) the pocket 12 MP pocket digital camera that I used to carry anywhere, and so for the the time being I am resorting to my mobile phone camera to take everyday pictures.

Bandung Souvenir 02: Miniature Wayang Golek

These miniature "Wayang Golek" (Sundanese wooden puppets) are not real wooden puppets, but ball points housed in wayang golek wooden carvings - a petite version of larger carvings of souvenir wayang golek that I posted earlier here.

My World: Gatutkaca

Gatutkaca is a "wayang golek" figure. In the epic of Mahabharata - one of the main sources of the narratives for the Javanese and Sundanese wayang performances, Gatotkaca is characterized as a demigod superman whose power includes - among others - the ability to fly. So powerful this character is that it is said that his bones are made of steel and his muscles of wires.

Gatotkaca's power is said to be inherited from his parents: Bimasena or Bima of the Pandawa family, his father, is a fierce but kind-hearted hero, and Hidimbi (better known as Arimbi in Javanese and Sundanese), his mother, is a powerful rakshasa (giant).

The Gatutkaca in the above photo is not the one that is normally used for "wayang golek" performance, but a unique souvenir that you can bring home from Bandung and West Java in general. This souvenir wayang golek is made larger that the one that is normally used for the performance.

This post is Bandung Daily Photo's participation in My World Tuesday Meme. Please follow the link to see other participants' photos and stories.

Wayang Golek

The term “Wayang golek” refers both to the or the traditional Sundanese (West Javanese) wooden puppets and the show with this kind of puppets. Unlike any other wayang puppets in other parts of Indonesia which are made of goat skin and are performed as a behind-the-screen shadow show, “wayang golek” is made of wood and is performed without the screen.

The word “wayang” may have come from the words “Wa” and “Hyang” (which together mean ancestors) or “bayang” (shadow).

“Wayang golek” show is performed by a puppeteer called “dalang” with an ensemble of “gamelan” music. The show is usually performed in the evening and typically lasts for about six hours. Originally, “wayang golek” used to be performed only at thanksgiving, harvest parties, and ceremonies to ask for God’s protection from evil spirits. Now it is also performed at wedding receptions, circumscision ceremony, company’s unniversaries, and other social functions.

The stories at “wayang golek” performance are typically dirived from the Hindu-Indian epics of Ramayana and Mahabarata. However, they have been adapted to the local Sundanese Moslem wisdom and values.

The photo above are four of “wayang golek” characters. I took this photo at the Kemilau Nusantara fest (see yesterday’s post).