SOLO RIVER
River of Life Bengawan Solo
Solo River, or
Bengawan
Solo as it is
called locally
(Bengawan is
an old
Javanese
word for river),
is the longest
river on the
Indonesian
island of Java.
Solo River is
approximately
540km in
length. It rises
on the slopes
of Mount Lawu
volcano and
passes
through the
major city of
Surakarta
(called Solo by
local inhabitants) thereafter the river has little gradient and meanders over the
lowlands before discharging into the Java Sea at a point opposite Madura Island.
The river’s marshy delta here is used for fish ponds. To reduce silting of the strait
between Madura and the northern approach to Surabaya on Java, the main
mouth of the Solo was diverted north in the 19th century.
Flooding is common during the wet season and the consequent distribution of silt
and volcanic ash is a major contributor to the high agricultural fertility that has
historically sustained the Java’s high population density. In the dry season much
of the riverbed is dry. In the past, the river was an important transport link
between Solo and the north coast of Java but these days, the river is too shallow
to be navigated safely. However, Solo River and its tributaries is an important
watercourse to the inhabitants and supplies the farmlands of the eastern and
northern parts of the island with valuable water to irrigate crops.
Bengawan Solo has also been a lifesaver - Solo River was the crash site of
Garuda Indonesia Flight 421 in January 2002. The plane hit thick clouds and the
engines cut out, unable to restart them, the pilot saw the river when he broke
through the cloud cover and landed there. The depth of the river and the high
water level saved all 54 passengers.
Solo River was compiled by Adrian Evans in 2012.
Rivers of the World is a Thames Festival project delivered in partnership with the British Council’s
Connecting Classrooms with support from HSBC Global Education Trust.
www.riversoftheworld.org
SOLO RIVER
River of Life Indonesia and Java
Indonesia is
an
archipelago of
17,508 islands
with 238
million
inhabitants
making it the
world's fourth
most
populous
country after
China, India
and the
United States.
The nation’s
fortunes were
founded on
the trade in aromatic spices, notably nutmeg, cloves and pepper.
Following three and a half centuries of Dutch colonialism, Indonesia secured its
independence after World War II. Indonesia's history has since been turbulent,
with challenges posed by natural disasters, corruption, separatism and periods of
rapid economic change.
With a population of 135 million, Java is home to 60% of Indonesia’s people.
While the majority of the people of Java are Muslim, the island has a diverse
mixture of religious beliefs, ethnicities and cultures.
Java is almost entirely of volcanic origin; it contains thirty-eight mountains forming
an east-west spine which have at one time or another been active volcanoes.
Further mountains and highlands help to split the interior into a series of relatively
isolated regions suitable for wet-rice cultivation; the rice lands of Java are among
the richest in the world.
Java was the first place where Indonesian coffee was grown, starting in 1699.
Indonesia is currently the fourth largest producer of coffee in the world. Most of
the crop is used in instant coffee, various manufactured products and in espresso
blends, where it adds characteristic flavours and the all important crema on top of
the coffee. After independence, the plantations throughout Indonesia either came
under the control of the new government or were abandoned. Today close to 92%
of coffee production is in the hands of small farmers or cooperatives.
Since Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of the Species (1861), the search was on to
find an evolutionary “missing link” between humans and apes. In 1891, in the
Bengawan Solo valley, a Dutch anthropologist, Eugène Dubois discovered human
fossils of what has become known as Java Man. Dating back 1.7 million years,
they were the first specimens of early human remains to be found outside of Africa
or Europe and provided the evidence that first convinced many of Darwin’s theory
that humans evolved from ape-like ancestors.
Solo River was compiled by Adrian Evans in 2012.
Rivers of the World is a Thames Festival project delivered in partnership with the British Council’s
Connecting Classrooms with support from HSBC Global Education Trust.
www.riversoftheworld.org
SOLO RIVER
Polluted River Java’s challenges
The soil in the
Solo valley is
fertile, partly
because of the
volcanic activity
of Mounts
Merapi and
Lawu.
Combined with
an abundant
water source,
this makes the
hinterland good
for planting
vegetables,
food and cash
crops.
But in the last
20 years,
manufacturing
industry and
tourism have
been booming
and agriculture
declining.
Indonesia's high population and rapid industrialization present serious
environmental issues, which are often given a lower priority due to high poverty
levels.
Issues include large-scale deforestation (much of it illegal) and related wildfires
causing heavy smog over parts of western Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore;
over-exploitation of marine resources; and environmental problems associated
with rapid urbanization and economic development, including air pollution, traffic
congestion, garbage management, and reliable water and waste water services.
Deforestation and the destruction of peatlands make Indonesia the world's third
largest emitter of greenhouse gases. Habitat destruction threatens the survival of
indigenous and endemic species, including 140 species of mammals identified by
the World Conservation Union as threatened, and 15 identified as critically
endangered, including Bali Starling, Sumatran Orangutan and Javan Rhinoceros.
The Javan Rhinoceros has only one known population in the wild and no
individuals in captivity. It is possibly the rarest large mammal on earth, with a
population of as few as 40 in Ujung Kulon National Park on Java in Indonesia.
The decline of the rhinoceros is attributed to poaching, primarily for their horns,
which are highly valued in traditional Chinese medicine, fetching as much as
£40,000 per kilogram on the black market – more valuable by weight than gold,
platinum or cocaine.
Solo River was compiled by Adrian Evans in 2012.
Rivers of the World is a Thames Festival project delivered in partnership with the British Council’s
Connecting Classrooms with support from HSBC Global Education Trust.
www.riversoftheworld.org
SOLO RIVER
Resourceful River Flooding
The Bengawan Solo River
has been important to the
welfare of the people of
Java since ancient times.
These days, land use in the
Solo basin is split between
paddy fields (35%); other
farmland (17%); forest
(24%); and other uses
(24%). Some 70% of the
paddy fields
are irrigated by 44 small,
localised dams
Java has a tropical
monsoon climate. There is
a lengthy wet season
beginning in October and
ending in April, with the
wettest months being
January and February with
heavy rain falling mostly in
the afternoons. There is a
relatively short dry season
from July through to
September. As is common
in tropical monsoon
climates, temperatures are
relatively consistent throughout the year, averaging between 22°C and 29°C.
Flooding along the Bengawan Solo River is a common occurrence. In fact, this
annual inundation is a valuable means of fertilising the area with river bourne silt.
But, during dry season, drought effects over 80% of the irrigated paddy fields in
the basin.
The construction of the Wonogiri Dam, completed in 1981, was part of a major
flood control and irrigation plan for the overall Bengawan Solo river basin. The
dam also generates hydroelectric power for the region, the reservoir is a water
supply and is also used for water sports and other recreational purposes.
Annual flash flooding continues. The inundations between 2007 and 2010 caused
severe economic, social, and ecological damage and loss. Plans are being
developed to improve flood management and to instigate countermeasure
systems in the Upper Solo River basin especially in Surakarta City.
It is believed that climate change will result in greater rainfall during the rainy
season and harsher periods of drought between. In late December 2007 and early
January 2008, persistent heavy rains led to overflowing rivers, flooding and
landslides throughout Indonesia, resulting in numerous fatalities and crop losses.
Bengawan Solo river basin was the hardest hit from flooding and landslides. More
than 100 people have been killed and hundreds of thousands have been affected
in East and Central Java
Solo River was compiled by Adrian Evans in 2012.
Rivers of the World is a Thames Festival project delivered in partnership with the British Council’s
Connecting Classrooms with support from HSBC Global Education Trust.
www.riversoftheworld.org
SOLO RIVER
Resourceful River Natural disasters
Indonesia has at least
150 active volcanoes
including Mount Lawu
and Mount Merapi.
Mount Lawu, which
straddles the southern
border of East and
Central Java, is located
at 3,265 meters above
sea level. In ancient
Javanese mythology,
Lawu is called Mahendra
and legend has it that the
gods who created the
first kingdom in Java
descended from heaven
here. In later history,
Lawu was the retreat of
the last king of Majapahit
in Java, Brawijaya V. On
the eve of the Javanese
New Year, thousands of
adherents of the
indigenous Javanese
belief - kebatinan - climb
to the summit to meditate.
As in other sacred places in Java, names that dot the landscape often echo the
ancient Indian Sanskrit epic, Mahabharata. The crater, for instance, is called
Candradimuka, believed to be the place where the gods boiled Bhima's son
Gatotkaca in molten metal to make him invincible. Bhima is the second of the five
Pandawa brothers, who are the main protagonists in the Mahabharata. Brawijaya
V had a fascination with Bhima - in the Karanganyar regency (in Central Java), on
the Surakarta side of Lawu, he built two temples dedicated to him. These are
Candi Sukuh which looks almost Mayan and Candi Cetho. Candi Cetho was
developed on the orders of the late president Suharto without any archaeological
considerations. Irresponsible and inappropriate development is still irreversibly
changing the spiritual sites of Lawu.
Mount Merapi is a volcanic mountain peak located near the centre of the island of
Java, Indonesia. The volcano is about 20 miles (32 km) north of Yogyakarta and
somewhat farther south of Semarang. Merapi (“Mountain of Fire”) rises to 9,551
feet (2,911 metres) and has steep slopes with dense vegetation on its lower
flanks. It is the most active of Indonesia’s 130 active volcanoes. One of its largest
eruptions occurred in 1006 and spread ash throughout central Java. Other major
eruptions were those of 1786, 1822, 1872, 1930, and 1976. Almost half of
Merapi’s eruptions have been accompanied by pyroclastic flows, which are clouds
of superheated gases and incandescent solid particles. In the eruption of Nov. 22,
1994, the release of a pyroclastic flow killed 64 people. A series of eruptions of the
volcano in late 2010, which included pyroclastic flows, killed scores of people,
injured dozens more, and forced tens of thousands to evacuate the area.
Solo River was compiled by Adrian Evans in 2012.
Rivers of the World is a Thames Festival project delivered in partnership with the British Council’s
Connecting Classrooms with support from HSBC Global Education Trust.
www.riversoftheworld.org
SOLO RIVER
Working River Fishing
Agriculture has been the
Indonesia's largest
employer for centuries
with fish being the main
source of animal protein
in the average diet.
With 13,667 islands,
Indonesia is the world's
largest archipelago.
Fishing in Indonesia is
important for the tourism
industry, for consumption
and for export. Shrimp
and tuna caught for
Japan form a substantial
share of fish exports.
A total catch of over 4
million fish in 2000
placed Indonesia on the
sixth position in the world
fishing market.
Commercial fishing is
restricted to the narrow
strip of inshore waters,
especially in northern
Java, but fishing is also
carried out along the
coast and in the rivers, lakes, coastal swamps, artificial ponds, and flooded rice
fields.
Fishing in Indonesia also is a major tourist activity. The most popular fishing sites
are the island of Krakatoa and Ujung Kulon National Park in south west Java.
Historically, the Bengawan Solo river was famous for its fresh water fish. But of
the 30 native species of fish that used to live in the river, only a few survive today
such as Jambal, Gabus and Putihan. Despite this, The Bengawan Solo River still
forms a vital part of everyday life for people living close to its banks, providing
water to wash, drink and irrigation for crops as well as fish to eat.
The river is being developed for tourism with river trips offering visitors the
opportunity to its beautiful scenery. During a river trip, people are able to see Elo
trees growing in several areas along the river. According to popular belief, if you
are lucky enough to see an Elo tree in flower then it is a sign that you will one day
become rich. Visitors can also see an ancient shipwreck which sunk around three
hundred years ago, in Trucuk. This boat is 40 meters long and 8 meters wide, and
used to belong to a Chinese merchant. It sunk when it was sailing towards Ngawi.
Bengawan Solo River was also known for Larung Getek, an annual tradition that
used actors to re-enact Joko Tingkir’s journey down Bengawan Solo. Joko Tingkir
founded the 16th century Javanese Kingdom of Pajang. Unfortunately, some parts
of the river have become too shallow to navigate, and as the result the reenactment can no longer be completed.
Solo River was compiled by Adrian Evans in 2012.
Rivers of the World is a Thames Festival project delivered in partnership with the British Council’s
Connecting Classrooms with support from HSBC Global Education Trust.
www.riversoftheworld.org
SOLO RIVER
Working River Solo Gethek Festival
To familiarize the
public with the
Solo River, Solo
City Government
holds an annual
ceremony called
Gethek Solo
Festival.
Gethek Solo
Festival is a river
rafting festival
designed to reestablish
Bengawan Solo
river as the main
mode of
transportation in
the past and to
preserve this
tradition. During
the festival,
people perform
historical
reconstructions of
daily life on the
River Solo.
The festival celebrates the past, bringing back memories of the
merchants who often crossed the Solo River. Complete with costume and
attributes, participants drive gethek boats carrying various merchandise such as
produce, grains, cloth and cattle.
The festival acts to encourage people to
reconnect with Solo river conditions,
become familiar with challenges the river is
currently facing, and develop interest in
looking after the river for future generations
to enjoy.
Sigra milir activities on the river are central
to the festival, these include various
performances such as dance, traditional
music and fashion, which come together to
form a river carnival.
Solo River was compiled by Adrian Evans in 2012.
Rivers of the World is a Thames Festival project delivered in partnership with the British Council’s
Connecting Classrooms with support from HSBC Global Education Trust.
www.riversoftheworld.org
SOLO RIVER
Working River Trade
The river
played
important part
in Javanese
history.
Its drainage
basin is an
important
agricultural
area,
dominated by
rice farming.
The river
transported
fertile volcanic
ash
downstream,
replenishing
the soil. It also
provided a
link between
Javanese port
cities on the
coast and the
rice-growing hinterlands, with shallow vessels transporting rice to the ports to be
sold.
Trade with other parts of Asia such as India and China flourished as early as the
4th century. Java also took part in the global trade of nutmeg, cloves, pepper and
other spices. Following the acquisition of much of Java by the Dutch colonial
governmental, various cash crops was introduced to be planted across the river
basin, such as coffee, sugar, cotton, rubber, tea and quinine. In the 19th and early
20th century, Javanese coffee gained global popularity.
Java is the most developed island in Indonesia. The road transportation networks
that existed since ancient times were connected and perfected in the early 19th
century and the need to transport commercial produces such as coffee from
plantations in the interior of the island to the harbour on the coast spurred the
construction of railway networks.
Today industry, business, trade and services flourish in major cities, such as
Jakarta, Surabaya, Semarang, and Bandung; while some traditional Sultanate
cities such as Yogyakarta, Surakarta, and Cirebon preserved its royal legacy and
became centres of art, culture and tourism.
For hundreds of years, tobacco has been a significant Indonesian industry, but in
recent years it has been given a distinctive local boost. Kretek are cigarettes
produced with a mix of tobacco and crushed cloves and they have been promoted
since the early 20th century as means of relieving asthma, a smokers cough and
other ailments. Today, their distinctive sweet, spicy scent dominates 90% of the
domestic cigarette market and has forced Indonesia, once a famed exporter of
cloves to become a net importer.
Solo River was compiled by Adrian Evans in 2012.
Rivers of the World is a Thames Festival project delivered in partnership with the British Council’s
Connecting Classrooms with support from HSBC Global Education Trust.
www.riversoftheworld.org
SOLO RIVER
River City Surakarta or Solo City
Surakarta’s population
is just over half a
million. It is located in
central Java on the
Solo River and
originally developed as
an inland port. It is now
a trade centre for an
area producing
tobacco, rice and
sugar.
Surakarta, commonly
called Solo City, is
particularly noted for its
batik cloth and gold
work. The city has well
established traditional
markets. The Pasar
Klewer is the biggest
textile market in
Indonesia and is
famous for its batiks in
all prices and qualities,
while the Pasar
Triwindhu specializes in
antiques.
Solo is also a cultural
centre, featuring gamelan music and wayang, or shadow plays. Surakarta's
outstanding feature is the vast, walled palace of the sultan, virtually a city in itself.
The European section of the city, which contains a Dutch fort built in 1799,
resembles an old Dutch town.
Solo City has had to endure more than its fair share of suffering. In May 1998,
triggered by rising oil prices, an angry mob ransacked and set many buildings on
fire, particularly banks and official government buildings. But then the situation
became uncontrolled as the mob also targeted shopping centres and other
commercial buildings for destruction, before it finally turned into a racial riot as
rioters targeted houses and business assets of the local Indonesian-Chinese,
leading to widespread destruction in the region. Much more recently, a brutal
suicide bombing took place in Surakarta in September 2011.
The city also gives its name to a board game for two players. The object of the
game is to capture all 12 of the opponent's pieces (or alternatively, have more
pieces remaining on the board than one's opponent when no further captures can
be made). Pieces always sit on a point of intersection of the board's grid lines. On
a turn, a player either moves one of his pieces a single step to an unoccupied
point in any direction (forwards, backwards, sideways, or diagonally), or makes a
capturing move. A capturing move consists of traversing along an inner or outer
circuit (coloured blue or green in the illustration) and landing on an enemy piece,
capturing it. Captured pieces are permanently removed from play. Only
unoccupied points may be travelled over; jumping over pieces is not permitted.
Solo River was compiled by Adrian Evans in 2012.
Rivers of the World is a Thames Festival project delivered in partnership with the British Council’s
Connecting Classrooms with support from HSBC Global Education Trust.
www.riversoftheworld.org
SOLO RIVER
River Culture Javanese classic arts
The Sunan (king)
of Surakarta,
although he no
longer holds
official political
power, is still
revered and
holds an
important position
as a cultural
symbol among
Javanese people.
As the centre of
Javanese courtly
culture, Surakarta
is also the centre
of royal Javanese
dance. Students
study these
dances at the
School of Arts in
Surakarta (left).
Traditional
Javanese
puppetry, a
famous part of
Javanese culture,
is rooted in Hindu
and Buddist
mythology.There
are two main
forms: Wayang
Kulit (shadow
puppet – below
left) and Wayang
Golek (three-dimensional wooden puppets).
Bengawan Solo is a famous Indonesian song about the Solo River. The song
describes the legendary river in a poetic and nostalgic way - that it is surrounded
by mountains, its sources are near the city of Surakarta, that it ends in the sea,
and that the merchants make use of it: "Solo River, ancient your histories span.
Linking present to past, linking the life of the soil and man. In the summer's heat
your streams are sluggish and slow. In the rainy season's height far afield your
banks overflow. Now you flow on through fertile rice fields, down to the sea at last.
Here are ships of trade, and when your journey's over, sailors brave the ocean
wide, seeking some far distant shore.”
The Gamelan is probably Indonesia’s most distinctive musical form. Its
characteristic waves of sound are played by orchestras of some 60 to 80
instruments, it consists of a large percussion section including bronze kettle
drums, xylophones and gongs accompanied by spike fiddles and flutes.
Solo River was compiled by Adrian Evans in 2012.
Rivers of the World is a Thames Festival project delivered in partnership with the British Council’s
Connecting Classrooms with support from HSBC Global Education Trust.
www.riversoftheworld.org
SOLO RIVER
River Culture Batik
The existence and use of batik (cloth
using a wax-resist dying technique)
was already recorded in the 12th
century and the textile has since
become a strong source of identity for
Indonesians. Batik is regarded as
formal attire for women and is
acceptable for men to wear in the
office or as a replacement for jacketand-tie at certain receptions. After the
UNESCO recognition for Indonesian
batik as an intangible world heritage
on 2nd October 2009, the Indonesian
government asked Indonesians to
wear batik on Fridays.
Javanese traditional batik, especially
from Yogyakarta and Surakarta, has
notable meanings. Indigo, dark
brown, and white, represent the three
major Hindu Gods of Brahmā, Visnu,
and Śiva. Some regions of Indonesia
have their own unique patterns and
certain patterns can only be worn by
nobility; traditionally, wider stripes or
wavy lines of greater width indicated
higher rank.
Infants are carried in batik slings
decorated with symbols designed to
bring the child luck. Certain batik
designs are reserved for brides and
bridegrooms, as well as their families.
The dead are shrouded in funerary
batik.
Batik clothing has revived somewhat
in the turn of 21st century, due to the
efforts of Indonesian fashion
designers to innovate batik by
incorporating new colours, fabrics,
and patterns. Batik is now
incorporated into many fashionable
items such as a shirts, dresses, or scarves for casual wear.
The Solo Batik Carnival (above) is held annually in June. It promotes creative
fashion industries based on batik and is an event that showcases Surakarta as
the centre of Javanese batik art.
Now, not only is batik used as a material to clothe the human body, its uses also
includes furnishing fabrics, heavy canvas wall hangings, tablecloths and
household accessories. Batik techniques are used by famous artists to create
batik paintings which grace many homes and offices.
Solo River was compiled by Adrian Evans in 2012.
Rivers of the World is a Thames Festival project delivered in partnership with the British Council’s
Connecting Classrooms with support from HSBC Global Education Trust.
www.riversoftheworld.org