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to thePlaces of interest in Central Kalimantan
CENTRAL KALIMANTAN Central Kalimantan, is the biggest
Indonesian province on the island of Kalimantan. It occupies
a surface of 153,800 square kilometers. It is mostly jungle
(82 %), while swamps, rivers, lakes take approximately 2 %
and agriculture land is about 3 %. Palangkaraya is the capital of this
province. It is located in the regency of Pandehut, on the
upper reaches of the Kahayan river. Other regencies are Kotawaringin Barat
(capital Pangkalanbun), Kotawaringin Timur (Sampit), Kapuas
(Kualakapuas), Barito Selatan (Buntok) and Barito Utara
(Muarateweh). Topographically, Central Kalimantan
consists of three areas: The northern area is mountainous and
reaches far into the hinterland, it is difficult to reach.
Transportation facilities are limited and much of the
terrain is rough. Many rapids are found here. The central area is dense and fertile
tropical forest. Almost four-fifths of Central Kalimantan is
made up of tropical forests, producing valuable commodities
such as rattan, resin and the best woods. Central Kalimantan has a hot and humid
climate. The average temperature is 30 degrees Celsius and
the annual rainfall ranges from 2776 to 3393 mm. People and culture Central Kalimantan is inhabited by two
million people, or only eight per square
kilometer. The indigenous inhabitants are the
Dayaks, comprising the sub-tribes Ngaju, Ot Danum, Ma'anyan
Ot Siang, Lawangan, Katingan and others. Ot Olong-olong and Penyawung people live
in the upstream areas of the Barito and Mahakam rivers.
Their livelihood is hunting, moving from one region to
another. They have no fixed settlement. Outside the Dayaks, settlers from other
areas of Indonesia are also found in the
province. Three big Dayak sub-tribes live in the
hinterland of Central Kalimantan. They are the Ngaju, Ot
Danum and Ma'anyan. The Ngaju initially inhabited the
upstream areas of the rivers, then migrated downstream. At
that time, their culture mixed with those of the
others. Like some other Dayaks in Kalimantan,
especially the Ot Danum and the Ma'anyan, the Ngaju till dry
lands and move from one region to another. They adhere to
the old Kaharingan religion, which is a form of ancestor
worship, mixed with elements of animism and
dynamism. The Ngaju people speak a language that
belongs to the Barito family of languages. This language is
also spoken by the Ot Danum and Ma'anyan, even by all Dayaks
in Kalimantan. There are, however, minor languages, such as
those of the northwest Barito area, spoken by the Ot Danum,
and the southeast, which is spoken by the
Ma'anyan. The Ngaju have seen progress. Many of
them living in the towns have enjoyed an education. Many of
them work as government officials in South
Kalimantan. The Ot Danum inhabit the upstream regions
of the Kahayan, Barito, Kapuas or Timbering Miri, in the
upstream reaches of the Kahayan river. The Ot Danum live in longhouses with
sometimes as many as 50 rooms. They are called "betang".
Such houses are found near the headwaters of rivers in the
Kapuas and East Kotawaringin regencies. The Ot Danum number
approximately 6,000 people, which makes them the largest
among the three sub-tribes in Central Kalimantan. The Ot Danum, like other Dayaks, are
known for their skill in platting rattan, palm leaves, and
bamboo. Such products are made by the women, and sold in the
markets in towns and cities such as Kualakapuas,
Banjarmasin, and Sampit. The men are good hunters, using simple
tools. They hunt pigs, deer and wild animals in the
forests. The Ma'anyan inhabit the areas east of
the Barito river and its tributaries such as the Telang,
Karau, Dayu and Patai. The Ma'anyan maintain contact with
Banjar (Malay) people living in the upstream regions of
rivers in South Kalimantan. Along the Karau and Kayu rivers,
however, the Ma'anyan associate exclusively with other
Dayaks, mainly the Lawangan. The Lawangan people have been
living in this region long before the Ma'anyan
arrived.
Central
Kalimantan
People And
Culture
Art in Central Kalimantan The art of Central Kalimantan clearly
bears the marks of the Kaharingan religion, which is the
traditional belief of the Dayaks in the hinterland of
Central Kalimantan. Building styles, statues, carvings and
other products are related to the cultural elements of the
Hindus, Chinese, and Hindu-Javanese. Aside from their aesthetic properties,
such products are appreciated for their magic value. Western
elements also infiltrated the arts of the hinterland of
Central Kalimantan, and have introduced new motifs to the
traditional art form. The architectural style of Central
Kalimantan can be seen in buildings such as the sandung,
kariring, patahu and various traditional houses. Sandung, is a wooden building to keep the ashes of the
family's dead, after cremation. Generally, the bigger sandung belong to members of the
aristocracy, such as the descendants of chieftains. The
smaller sandung are called kariring. They are found at
Tuwung, in the upstream area of the Kahayan River. The roof of a sandung is ornamented with the enggang
(hornbill) or dragon motif. The enggang is a ruler's symbol.
The dragon is a symbol of the lower aristocracy, or of
common people. Sandungs are found in the upstream regions of
the Kahayan river, at the villages of Tuwung, Bukit Rawi
(north of Palangkaraya) and Pohandut (near Palangkaraya).
Patahu A Patahu looks like a dwelling built on high pillars to
avoid attack by wild animals. Patahu houses are found at
Bukit Rawi, on the Kahayan river. A Patahu, however is not occupied by people but by the
ancestral souls of the Dayaks. This structure is believed to
protect the village, and therefore filled with the offerings
in the form of dishes, glasses and some spherical
stones. It is considered a sacred place, and is found in almost
every village in the upstream areas of the Kahayan river.
This house is the center of village ceremonies. The patahu ceremony is held once a year, and is led by
the tribal chief. Accompanied by music, the offerings are
placed and the chicken and pigs are killed as offerings.
There is also rice. The patahu is also used as a place to
pray. Little is left of the traditional art of statue sculpting
in Central Kalimantan. The statues, representing human beings and animals, made
of iron-wood, are part of the Dayak system of belief. The
statues are considered to have magic powers, and are
designed to ward off catastrophes. The statues are placed in
the house as guardians of the sandung. Generally, features and expressions of statues of
different regions show little variety. The baluntang statues
of Dayaks of the East Kalimantan, for example have more or
less the same simple, expressive features and magical
properties are those of West Kalimantan. There are basically four types of statues in Kalimantan.
They are those that are used in traditional ceremonies,
guardian or helper statues, family statues and decorative
statues. The statue for the traditional ceremony is the most
complete, and has the appearance of wearing traditional
dress. They are made of iron-wood and represent a leader in
complete traditional attire. On both sides of such as
statues, guardian statues are usually placed. The decorative statue is status symbol. They are made of
the iron-wood and are placed on the roof of the Sandung. The
hornbill, or enggang, is for chieftains, while the dragon is
the symbol of the common people. The family statue is the personification of the ancestors
and members of the family who died. They are also made
iron-wood, and are placed near the sandung. Such statues can
be found at Bukit Rawi village, in the upstream areas of the
Kahayan River. Central Kalimantan is an area with a rich artistic
heritage. Unfortunately, the crafts have almost
disappeared. Those that are left include weaving and embroidery, and
the making of wooden masks, to be used in traditional
ceremonies, war-traditional dress, weapons, women's
necklaces, belts and shirts, etc. Other craft products are home utensils and fishing or
hunting tools. These can still be found and seen in several
regions, for instance, in the Regional Museum of
Palangkaraya. Betang is the name of the traditional Dayak longhouse in
the hinterland of Kalimantan. Such houses are built on
pillars that are usually more than two meters high, so a
person can walk freely underneath it. A betang has many
rooms often as many as all of them connected, not unlike a
modern hotel, but simple. Betangs are well suited to the traditional way of life,
which places great emphasis on communal life, particularly
within the family, or clan. The high pillars prevent
surprise attacks by the wild animals of the forest. The most
respected elder is appointed head of the betang. He is
expected to set an example for the other members of the
family, and preserve the group's harmony. To the Dayaks, the
betang is therefore known, not merely as dwelling, but a
symbol of harmony, unity and justice. In the hinterlands of Kalimantan, longhouses can be found
that are more than a hundred years old. Today, however,
lifestyles are changing, and as more and more Dayaks are
adopting the habit of living in individual family homes, the
longhouse is gradually becoming a symbol of passing
tradition, a tourist object, more than a way of life. Betangs are found in the hinterland, usually near big
rivers. There are old betangs in Buntui village, Kahayn
Hilir district; Timbering Malahui, Rungan district;
Timbering Gagu, Mentaya Hulu, and in Makunjang village, in
the Lahei district. Palangkaraya is the capital of the province of Central
Kalimantan. This town in the upstream regions of the Kahayan
river was formerly known as the village of Pahandut in the
regency of Palangkaraya. In the local Dayak language, palangka means container;
and raya means holy. Thus, palangkaraya means a holy
container. The town occupies an area of about 2,400 square
kilometers and is inhabited by 90,000 people. It comprises
two districts, Pahandut and Bukitbatu. Pahandut is being
continuously developed. Nowadays, the town has become the
center of government, trade and education of the province of
Central Kalimantan. As a province, (Palangkaraya) can easily be reached from
Jakarta, Banjamasin, Samarinda, Balikpapan and other points
on the island. The Regional Museum of Palangkaraya contains collections
of historical and cultural interest from all over Central
Kalimantan. Samples of Dayaks architecture in the form of
miniature models of sandungs and patahu. There are also statues and various samples of the local
crafts of Central Kalimantan. The nature reserve of Tangkiling lies approximately 34
kilometers north of Palangkaraya. Small rivers flow through
the reseThe Tangkiling Tourism Park lies only five
kilometers from the center of the reserve. Here, one finds
Batu Banama Tangkiling, which is associated with a popular
local legend. The Kereng Benkirai reserve is located in the
vicinity Kualakapuas is the capital of the Kapuas regency, south
of Palangkaraya, on the Kapuas river 40 kilometers from
Banjarmasin. A well-known tourism object is Telo Island, a fishing
village and port. The name Telo means three islands. It is
pleasant site for recreation. Gohong Rawai is known for its beautiful and challenging
rapids. Suitable for adventurers, white-water rafters and
nature lovers. The gold mines of Teweh and Batu Api, Rungan district,
are interesting sites to be visited. In this region, gold
mining is a major source of livehood for the people, who pan
for the metal in the old traditional manner. Gold deposits are found in many places in Central
Kalimantan. In Bukit Rawi, north of Palangkaraya, in the upper
reaches of the Kahayan river, are a sandung and a sapunduk,
wooden structures in which the ashes of the dead are kept.
Sapunduk is a statue which serves as pillar. This pillar is
also used to tie buffaloes during certain ceremonie
Kualakapuas one can find the remains of old settlement. The
place is also good for boating and recreation. Not far away
is Pasir Putih in Lupak. The longhouse at Buntoi is more than 100 years old. The
house is made of iron-wooden of palm fiber. It is now used
by the descendants of the original occupants. Buntoi is located in the Kahayan Hilir district, and can
be reached from Banjarmasin by motorboat via Pulang Pisang.
It is also can be reached from Palangkaraya via Pulang
Pisang. The trip takes one day. Pantar and Sandung statues
are found in front of the longhouse. The longhouse at Tumbang Malahui, in the Rungan district,
was built in 1911 by Ongko Uwan, together with six of his
relatives and son-in-law, assisted by 400 workers. The house
took a year to complete. The length of the house is 30
meters. The walls are made of tree bark, and the pillar is
called bakas or sulung. Others are called penyambut, tengah
and bungsu. A sandang statue is found in front of the
house. The place can be reached from Palangkaraya overland up to
Tangkiling, then over the river to Timbering Jatuh, Rungan
district. Then continue to Timbering Malahui, which takes
two hours. A trip from Tangkiling to Timbering Jatuh, takes
10 hours by klotok boat. The same trip takes three hours by
speedboat. banama An old boat, or banama, believed to have once belonged to
the Banjar kingdom, is found on the Parigi river, a
tributary of the Kahayan, at Kantan, Pandih Batu, Kapuas
regency. The length of the boat is 30 meters and the width
eight meters. Other antiquities are found in the
surroundings. The banama is believed to be many hundred of years old.
The areas around Pulang Pisau and Pangkuh in the downstream
regions of the Kahayan river, were once part of the Banjar
kingdom. Buntok is the capital of the Barito Selatan regency. It
is a small town on the banks of the Barito River, which can
be reached over land via Tanjung, the capital of the
Tabalong regency, in South Kalimantan. Or by boat from
Kualakapuas. The distance between Buntok and Tanjung is 150 kilometers
via the small town Ampah. Part of the trip must be made on
foot because of the bad roads. Buntok sits on the road junction between Banjarmasin,
inFrom Buntok, one can visit Liang Saragi, a cave with
17tunnels. It is very attractive cave and is much visited by
the people. It is a located in Tamiang Layang a small town
in the Dusun Timur district bordering the province of South
Kalimantan. Attractive hot-water-spring are found in Ampah, 70
kilometers from Buntok Tanjung. Liang Ayah is nearby. Lake Melawen is five kilometers away from Buntok, near
the airstrip. Small motorboats are available for boating or
fishing. Melawen can be reached From Palangkaraya or Banjarmasin.
It can also be reached by sailing up the Barito river while
enjoying the scenery. The lake is a popular holiday
resort. Muarateweh Muarateweh is the capital of the Barito Utara
regency. It is located north of Buntok, and can be reached
by sailing down the Barito river. The distance is 150
kilometers. Muarateweh is quite busy and big. The town has two movie
theaters. Small aircraft maintain the links with other towns
in the province. River transport is also available. A busy terminal serves
both river and land communications. The longhouse of Makonjun stands in Makonjun village,
Lahei district, not far from Muaralahai. It can be reached
by motorboat from Muarateweh in two hours. The iron-wood
house was built in 1930. It is 100 meters long. The Makonjun
longhouse is quite modern as Dayak longhouses go. In Purukcahu, on the Barito river, the houses are built
in a row alongside the river. The scenery around this town
is beautiful and the air is fresh. A sign at the port says
Welcome to Purukcahu. For those interested in history and culture there are the
house of Temanggung Suropati and the grave of H.M. Seman.
One can see the longhouses at Kunut Paraci, and Orung Apat
in the Tanahsiang district. There is also the Fort of Beras
Kuning, in the Murung district. The waterfalls of Koloubesar and Poran are found not far
from Purukcahu. The wildlife reserves Bararawan I and II in
the area are very attractive. A Black Orchid park is found near the two villages
Muaratuhup and Muaralaung, Tumbanglahung
district.PurukcahuStone-caves are found at Liang Pandan, not
far from Purukcahu. People pan for diamonds at Labung village, on the Gula
river, 15 kilometers from Purukcahu. Local people look for
diamonds to add to their livehood. People also pan for gold at a traditional mine at
Masuparia village. Hot-springs water for bathing and medication are found at
Lawang Anak Andau village, Saripoi, north of Teweh Timur. At
Gunung Angah, one can find an orchid forest in which various
species of orchids can be seen in bloom during certain
months. Pangkalabun is the capital of the Kotawaringin Barat
regency, in the western part of Central Kalimantan. The name Kotawaringin is taken from the ancient
Kotawaringin kingdom, established by a descendant of a
Banjar king, Sultan Mustaillah, who had four sons and a
daughter. One of the sons was Pangeran Adipati Anta Kusuma,
who, in 1679, founded the kingdom of Kotawaringin. Eventually the capital of the kingdom was moved from
Kotawaringin to a place named Sukabumi, which later became
known as Pangkalanbun. The name Sukabumi fell into disuse
and gradually disappeared from the people's memory. Nowadays, Pangkalanbun is a busy little town. It is
nowadays an important transit point for both land and river
traffic through the area. People traveling from West to East
Kalimantan, or vice versa, always stop over in Pangkalanbun.
Also people bound for Java or other islands, always travel
via Pangkalanbun. In this town, the old Palace of Pangkalanbun, now 200
years old, can still been seen, it is made of ulin-wood
(iron-wood), in the style of Banjar. It is the only Banjar
royal legacy found in Central Kalimantan. Oars, jewelry,
music instruments, weapons, the royal standard, costumes and
other items more than a hundred years old are kept in the
old place. There is also an old 17th century Dutch
cannon. The Mosque of Kyai Gede is the oldest mosque in the area
being more than 300 years old. It is found in Kotawaringin
Lama, the former seat of the Kotawaringin kingdom.
Kotawaringin is now a district. Taman Baru is a hunting park 21 kilometers from
Pangkalanbun. A special hunting permit from the proper
authorities, however, is required. The Tanjung Puting National Park is very well known. It
is a nature and wildlife reserve for lowland and swamp
forests, inhabited by orang utans, owa-owa, bekantan and
other primates. Various bird species exists in the area of Sungaibuluh.
Danau Burung (Bird Lake) is found here - a haven for many
thousands of birds. The southern part of Tanjungputing is a coastal area
facing the Java Sea. To the north in the Kumai river, with
very beautiful scenery. Pesut, fresh-water dolphins, and
Duyung Dugong-dugong live in the water near the mouth of the
river. Groups of rare turtles are found along the coast. Tanjungkubu makes a good camping ground in the area of
the wildlife reserve. The surroundings are very pleasant and
beautiful. Tanjungkeluang Beach lies adjacent to Tanjungputih. Bogam Bay is popular and pleasant seaside resort. Sampit town, on the Sampit river, is the capital of a
regency of the same name. It is known as the biggest timber
port in Kalimantan and Indonesia. Here are found many
sawmills which process the timber, cut from the forests in
Kalimantan, for export. Pasir Putih Beach near Sampit is a pleasant and beautiful
recreation area. In Sabangau Bay, one can go fishing,
boating, or engage in other activities. Pandaran Beach is a park on the seaside at the mouth of
the Sampit river. It is quite unlike most other resorts in
the area. Standing in the middle of the park, one see to
one's north the river emptying its water into the sea. To
the south is the wide expanse of the Java Sea. Hunters can engage in their favourite pastime at the
Sarayan River hunting. The site borders on the hunting park
of Kotawaringin Barat. Around Lake Sembuluh, in the Sembuluh district near the
small town of Telagapulang, is an orchid park with beautiful
and rare orchids. In addition, there are the Sepan Biha
salt-water springs, which is frequented by deer. Similar
springs exist at Sepan Sepui. The Orchid Park of Pembuangan Hulu, in the Hanau and
Tumbangmanjul districts, is a natural forest in which a
number of rare and beautiful orchid species grow. The Bukit Raya Nature Reserve is in the upstream region
of the Lamandau river on the Bukit Raya mountain
(1,200meters). Kudangan and Mangkalan villages are near this
reserve, which borders on the province of West
Kalimantan. A longhouse can be seen at Timbering Sagu, Mentaya Hulu
district, Kotawaringin Timur. It can be reached from
Palangkaraya over Sampit by boat in a week. This betang was constructed in 1800 by Antang Kalang and
his family, assisted by 500 workers. It was completed in
seven years. There is also the longhouses of Pendahara, far in the
upstream regions of the Mendawai river. This region is
located near the Schwaner Mountains on the boundary between
Central and West Kalimantan. A longhouse is also found in the small village of
Rentapulut. This house lies in the upstream reaches of the
Seruyang River, and as flanked by two small hills to its
west and east. Sandung and Lampudu structures are found in
Tumbanglahang. They are considered sacred and infested with
magic properties. A big stone like a boat, called a Boat-Stone and often
visited by tourists, is found near the small town Mentaya,
75 kilometers from Sampit. Palangan Baru and Palangan Lama, in the upstream reaches
of the Sampit river are settlements of isolated tribes. The
people previously inhabited the area around the head waters
of the Kenyala river deep in the hinterland. As the Palangan
region was opened to transmigrants, the Dayaks were given a
new settlement by the government, and land cultivation
methods were introduced. Death, the Dayaks belief, is considered a migration from
the world of the living to the hereafter. Basically, the
death ritual is to honor the soul simultaneously as a means
to lead the soul of the dead towards the hereafter.
Therefore, for the Dayaks of Central Kalimantan especially
the Ngaju, the death ritual, called Tiwah is considered of
the utmost importance. The Ngaju believe that the soul Liaw of the deceased
person keeps lingering in the family's surroundings. Only
after the ritual known as tiwah has been held is the soul
free to travel to the hereafter, called Lewu Liaw or lewu
tata. The death ritual consits of two parts. First, the
ceremony which is held immediately after a person's death.
Second, the tiwah, which is to lead the soul to the other
world and concludes the death ritual. Generally, this ceremony is held a year after the
person's death. Commonly it is held after the harvest season
when there are not much work to do and food stocks are
available. However, since a lot of money is involved, most
people usually wait until enough has been saved, or else
organize the event collectively. The ceremony may last for
week or a month, depending on the wealth of the family. The bones are collected and wrapped in a kakandin (red
cloth, placed into a garantung gong), then stored in the
Sandung, the special storage house. All the while, the gongs
and drums are sounded and there is chanting. The Upo or ceremony leader, speaks a formula, which is
repeated by the basirs of panumba that is, the members of
the group perfoming the ritual. The drums are again beaten,
in the rhythm that changes with the mood of the
narration. First, the soul is awakened. Then, it is invited to put
on proper clothes and offered various delicacies. It is also
given a new name. Finally, the soul is led to the belay
entay (waiting house), which is found on pasahan raung hill
(the coffin). After that, the Salumpuk liaw haring kaharingan are
summoned from place named Balu Indu Rangkang. There are two
souls representing the physical and the spiritual. The souls
merge and travel to a place called Banama Nyaho. From there,
the trip continues to Lewu Tata Panungkup. During the tiwah ceremony people sing and dance with the
remains of the dead during the night. All the people
participate, men and women, old and young. The ceremony reaches its most dramatic stop during the
slaughter of a buffalo as a sacrifice. If only one buffalo
is killed, it is done a day before the cremation. If there
are several, the killing maybe done either at once, or a day
before cremation or one or a few at a time, until cremation
takes places. The buffalo is killed with spears, by several people,
taking turns. The animal is tied to the animals pala, called
sapundu and cannot escape, while it's executioners aim their
spears at its head and body. The person who has the obligation to throw the first
spear is the brother of the deceased. If he is indisposed,
he can be represented by a cousin. After the buffalo is dead, members of family trample on
the carcass later, the meat of buffalo will be shared. Commonly, the ceremony of cremation is held a day after
the ceremony buffalo killing. A cleansing ceremony is held three of seven days after
tiwah ceremony, to drive all the evil spirit away. All the
utensils used in the tiwah are thrown away, because they are
considered to be attached to those evil spirits. The
cleansing ceremony is led by a balian.
Rattan plaitwork, hand-printed batik,
paintings, carvings, hand-woven textiles. See the archipelaGo listings for more
information. c u l t u r e
Art
Patahu
Statues
The
Crafts
Betang The Dayak
Longhouse
Palangkaraya
Regional
Museum
Tangkiling
Nature Reserve
Kualakapuas
Telo
Island
Gohong
Rawai
Rungan
Bukit
Rawi
Buntoi
Tumbang
Malahui
Banama
Muarateweh
Buntok
Lake
Melawen
Purukcahu
Black
Orchids
Diamonds
Hot-Springs
Pangkalanbun
Kotawaringin
Mosque of
Kyai Gede
Tanjung
Puting National Park
Sampit
Pasir Putih
Beach
Kotawaringin
Barat
Orchid
Park
Tumbang
Sagu
Boat-Stone
Tiwah
Shopping
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