Love stories behind the magical Ullen Sentalu
The name of Yogyakarta’s Ullen Sentallu museum is an acronym of a number of Javanese words: ULating bLENcong, SEjatiNing TAtaraning LUmaku. This translates as: the light of true life guiding one’s life journey.
Located at Jalan Boyon, Kaliurang, a highland area around 15km north of Jogjakarta, this museum displays beautiful architecture surrounded by impressive gardens and statues.
It is said that DR. KP Samuel Widyadiningrat, the man who came up with the concept of the museum, wanted it to embody the harmony between man and nature, and apparently he has succeeded in doing this. Being in this museum complex brings about excitement as well as peace and tranquility.
While I was in the Javanese countryside, the building appeared more like a mini European castle. It has 10 different rooms with each one telling a different story.
The rooms include:
1. Ruang Selamat Datang (Welcome Room)
2. Ruang Seni Tari & Gamelan (Dance and Gamelan Room)
3. Goa Gelo Giri (Gelo Giri Cave)
4. Koridor Retja Landa (Retja Landa Isle)
5. Ruang Budaya dan Kampung Kembang (Culture Room and Floral Village)
6. Ratu Mas (Royal Room)
7. Ruang Syair untuk Tineke (Poetry for Tineke Room)
8. Ruang Batik Vorstendlanden ( Vorstendlanden Batik Room)
9. Ruang Batik Pesisiran (Pesisiran Batik Room)
10. Ruang Putri Dambaan (The Room of the Desired Princess)
I felt as if I was transported to the past as I ventured through each room. The artifacts, the ancient and rare royal batik motifs, the oil paintings of various Sultans and their families, the manuscripts and historical photographs of the palace with the royal family during the colonial era have successfully brought the past into the present.
One memorable panting is a 3D portrait of a woman whose eyes seemingly follow you around the room. Taking pictures is not allowed in the rooms.
Among the many royal photographs and stories featured in Ullen Sentalu, several are definite stand-outs. The first one is the story of Tineke, the daughter of Pakubuwono XI, the Sunan of Surakarta.
Ruang Syair untuk Tineke is a room dedicated to remember her. It displays many handwritten poems by Tineke’s friends and family to display their sympathy for the princess’ love for her lover. During the period of 1939-1947 the princess was deeply in love with a man her family didn’t approve of. She was broken hearted for nearly 10 years, although at the end she found a happy ending in her love life.
The second room is Ruang Putri Dambaan, which was built in dedication of GRA Siti Nurul Kusumawardhani, Mangkunegara VII’s only daughter.
Like her name, she was indeed a dambaan (desired) princess. She was a very good dancer. Queen Wilhelmina from Netherlands once invited her to perform a dance when celebrating her daughter-Princess Juliana and Prince Bernard’s wedding.
Her beauty captivated many great men in that era, from Indonesia’s first Prime Minister Sutan Sjahrir, Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono IX to Soekarno, Indonesia’s first president.
Sources said that Soekarno once fell in love with her, and asked famed artist Basuki Abdulah to paint her picture. He then put that painting in his office room in Cipanas. However, the princess refused him because she did not want to engage in any romance with a married man. She was also known for refusing polygamy, which was a common practice in that era. Aside from preserving many of her photographs, Ullen Sentalu also has a statue of her displayed in its garden.
When leaving this museum, the guide gave me a special beverage made from seven special ingredients named Ratu Mas, which many believe can promote health and a youthful appearance.
I was impressed to discover that, although the museum is supported by private foundations and not the government, it had been able to receive a number of personal items from the royal families to improve its collection.
The Ullen Sentalu complex is equipped with a souvenir shop and a restaurant named Baukenhoof, which mainly serves Western dishes. The restaurant’s interior has a strong ambience of the colonial era in Java.
Ullen Sentalu:
Jl. Boyong Taman Wisata Kaliurang
Yogyakarta
Telephone: (62-0274) 880158
Open Tuesday-Sunday 09.00 a.m-04.00 p.m. (Open on public holidays)
Admission: for local tourists Rp. 25,000 and foreign tourists US$ 5
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