Central Kalimantan

Central Kalimantan

The Capital City of Central Kalimantan Province is “Palangkaraya”

Central Kalimantan consists of one municipality (Palangka Raya) and five regencies, those are Kapuas, South Barito, North Barito, East Kotawaringin and West Kotawaringin. The total area is 153.800 kilometers², most of the area (70%) is the best forest in the world, and as “The Heart of the World”. Consists the forest 126.436 Kilometers², the swamp 18.115 Kilometers², the lakes and swampy 4.563 Kilometers², and the landscape 4.686 Kilometers². And the climate is 30⁰C temperature maximum.

Central Kalimantan have small and big river stream, length and short which emit a stream of from mountain area northside to the South, and have estuary to Java Sea. River - the river are; River of Barito 900 Kilometers, River of Katingan 650 Kilometers, River of Kapuas 600 Kilometers, River of Kahayan 600 Kilometers, River of Mentaya 400 Kilometers, River of Seruyan 350 Kilometers, River of Lamandau 300 Kilometers, River Lie 250 Kilometers, River Stork 200 Kilometers, River Moulding 179 Kilometers, River of Jelai 100 Kilometers.

The inland are generally lived by Dayak Tribes such as Ngaju, Ot Danum, Kapuas, Ma’anyan, Dusun, Lawangan and Klematan. Each tribe has a specific way of life and also the culture. Most of the societies who live in town, beach and transmigration area are Banjar, Madura, Bugis, Java, Bali and tribes from some other countries. And according to the geography, Central Kalimantan is the one of four provinces in Kalimantan, lies 111⁰ up to 116⁰ East Longitude and 0⁰45’ North Altitude unit 3⁰30’ South Altitude which bordered by : The Schwaner and Muller mountain range at the West side and North side as natural border. East Kalimantan at the East side. And South Kalimantan and Java Sea at the South side.

Central Kalimantan a part from South Kalimantan since May 23, 1957. Laying of a cornerstone Palangka Raya as capital of  Central Kalimantan on July 17, 1957 by Dr. Ir. Soekarno, first president of Indonesia Republic. The religious of the people, most of them are Moslem (67%), Kaharingan (15%), Protestan Christianity (14%) and Chatolic (2%).Moreover one of the most interesting attraction is Tiwah Festival. Around the Dayak Tribes based on Kaharingan faith, the Tiwah doing for complete buried his ancestor. Dayak Ngaju are the biggest, who live in large all over the area. And Dayak Ngaju’s dialect is a vehicle among them.

Traditional Costumes

Dayaknese men in Middle of Kalimantan wear Sangkarut, kind of vest in Ngaju dialect.Short pants is a loincloth covered by square cloth (Ewah). On the head is perched Salutup Hatue (headdress) combined with bird feather.The women's have Salutup Bawi (kind of Salutup Hatue), vest, and woven skirt.The pattern of clothes dominated by natural symbols particulary for women's costume.

Palangkaraya

Palangkaraya is the province capital of Central Kalimantan and situated in the upstream region of the Kahayan river In the local Dayak language, Palangkaraya means a holy container. Palangkaraya can easily be reached from Jakarta, Banjarmasin, Samarinda, Balikpapan and other points of the island by air. Nowadays, the town has become the center of government, trade and education of the province. The Regional Museum of Palangkaraya contains a collection of historical and cultural interest from all over Central Kalimantan. The Nature Reserve of Tangkiling lies 34 kilometers north of Palangkaraya. Small rivers flow through the reserve.

Society

The most salient feature of Dayak social organisation is the practice of Longhouse domicile. This is a structure supported by hardwood posts that can be hundreds of metres long, usually located along a terraced at the river bank. At one side is a long communal platform, from which the individual households can be reached. Longhouses have a door and apartment for every family living in the longhouse. For example, a Longhouse of 200 doors is equivalent to a settlement of 200 families. Headhunting was an important part of Dayak culture, there used to be a tradition of retaliation for old headhunts, which kept the practise alive. Reports describe Dayak War parties with captured enemy heads. At various times, there have been massive coordinated raids in the interior, and throughout coastal Borneo. Metal-working is elaborately used for making mandaus ( machetes ). The blade is made of a softer iron, to prevent breakage, with a narrow strip of a harder iron wedged into a slot in the cutting edge for sharpness. The headhunting necessitated being able to draw the parang quickly. For this purpose, the mandau is fairly short, which also better serves the purpose of trailcutting in dense forest. It is holstered with the cutting edge facing upwards and at that side there is an upward protrusion on the handle, so it can be drawn very quickly with the side of the hand without having to reach over and grasp the handle first. The hand can then grasp the handle while it is being drawn. The combination of these three factors (short, cutting edge up and protrusion) makes for an extremely fast drawing-action. The ceremonial mandaus used for dances are as beautifully adorned with feathers as the dresses are.

Politics

Under Indonesia's transmigration programme, settlers from densely-populated Java and Madura were encouraged to settle in the Kalimantan provinces, but their presence was, and still is, resented by Dayaks, Banjars and local Malays . The large scale transmigration projects initiated by the Dutch and continued by the current national government, caused widespread breakdown in social and community cohesion during the late 20th Century. The systemic and violent attacks on Indonesian Madurese settlers, including mass executions of whole Madurese transmigrant communities. Eventually, order was restored by the Indonesian Military but this was late in application. The Indonesian government have stopped the transmigration plan in 2001.

The objects of interests are:

Dayak Tribe Culturals, Dayak Religion, Sapundu, Rumah Batu “Petahu”, Sandaran, Pantar, Ambatan, Sandung Dulang, Sandung Balanga, Mandau, Arboretum, Garden Tourism Tangkiling Hill, The Palangka Raya Municipality, Bukit Tangkiling, The Culture Museum, Tahai Lake, Tanjung Putting National Park, Tanjung Puting National Park and Orangutans, Kereng Bangkirai Lake, The Kapuas Regency, Batu Suli & Batu Tingkes, The Hamputung River, Cemara Labat Beach, The Kapuas Hulu River, Betang – Buntoi, Betang Tumbang Kurik, Betang Tumbang Malahoi, Sandang Bukit Rawi, Anyaman Rottan, The South Barito Regency, The North Barito Regency, The East Kotawaringin Regency, The West Kotawaringin Regency.

For complete information you could have on the “Text Book Guiding To Indonesia” By F. I. Fatrick.