National Museum has many spaces going back thousands of years. It is interesting to look at the sculptures and see the change in detail just within another century.
Ganesh(a) is the elephant-headed Hindu god of beginnings, who is traditionally worshipped before any major enterprise and is the patron of intellectuals, bankers, scribes, and authors. He is also attributed to scientists. I actually love looking at statues of this good before I knew what he stood for.
Keris is an asymmetrical dagger and it’s used in birth to death ceremonies as well as protection. The hilt of the sword is carved and can contain jewels depending upon status. The person who makes it can also give it mythical powers. It is steeped in mythology and many rituals.
The statue on the left is that of Brahma, the Creator in Hinduism. The biggest feature is the four heads. This statue dates back to the 8th century and is from northern central java.
This is an actual piggyback dating back to the Majapahit empire era around 1293. Called a celengan, which means pig, the primer became aware of saving culture. The pig is a symbol of wealth.
This is the presidential palace in the same area.
A spire of the Istiqial Mosque which is the largest in southeast Asia and the third largest in the world. Most of Indonesia is predominantly Muslim. As we approached, they were giving the call to prayer. In Bali, they are predominantly Hindu.
Directly across the street is the Jakarta Cathedral. Its bells were ringing at the same time. Inside there was a wedding beginning.
We only toured some areas and attractions and focused on looking at three local life and try different foods. Maybe one day I can come back and see other areas like Sumatra….