Kraton's exhibition

Memorizing and Romantizing the Glory

Walking through the displays of some important heritages of kraton, companion by the guide who only told the ‘official’ story behind all things, what I can do is just thinking about the tendency of the power to sustain the glorious era in a complicated symbolism system. Not surprisingly if some of the heritage notice as a sacred. Even though it is look like a practice that correlating with certain religion, for me the sacretization is about how to keep the credibility of the power (Sultan) in the people mind. From the religious point of view we can wonder how in the past particular religion influence not only to the way of celebration but also in the uniform and chariots. But from the functional point of view all of those things are just the tools to keep the glorious of the palace.

People like to have something good in the past as a reference to build identity. Remembering to the glorious era of the Javanese society is necessary not only to see the cultural process of how Javanese culture create but also to be aware that what is happening now is a continuation of what already happened in the past. Focus on the glorious things of Kraton people can always aware their connection with the power. Since this exhibition held every year and usually at the days before the biggest celebration called “Grebeg Maulud” take place, the process of remembering plant in the heart of Javanese people as something that should believe in respect. On one side this process invites people to come back to the past and memorize all of the things in the past as a something important in the present day. On the other side people can always romantizing the past whether for the positive or negative purposes.

Every cultural system needs something that can be use as a sign for people can do memorizing and romantizing their existence. It is sometime function as a social cohesion. It is also can be a source of people to find the cause of some tradition or practice. As far as the memorizing and romantizing process correlating with the community cultural identity, it is useful. But, still we should critizice them because some glorious thing somehow is not as glorious as we remember. Though our remembrance is depend on our choice to memorize and romantize.