Since my family and I always visit Yogyakarta
every year for Eid celebration, we take our Eyang (grandma) jalan-jalan
(travelling).
This time, we visited “Pantai Ngobaran!”
From the city, the journey took around 1.5 hours
by car (approx. 65 km from the city of Yogyakarta.)
As soon as we stepped on Ngobaran Beach, we were
greeted with an amazing sight of an unspoiled beach from the top of the hills!
Its uniqueness at low tide you can see the expanse of seaweeds both green and
brown that live together on rocks and coral reefs at the beach.
Have you ever heard of Ngobaran Beach? It is
located at GunungKidul. People say it is Bali Van Java!
If you don’t have time to explore Bali yet,
Yogyakarta’s south coast range would make you feel like you’re at Bali!
Ngobaran Beach history is quite interesting.
The name “Ngobaran” comes from the history of
Prabu Brawijaya V, who was the last king of Majapahit Kingdom, which coincides
with the Kingdom of Islam that was growing rapidly with the establishment of
Islamic Kingdoms in the North Coast of the Island of Java in the mid-15th
Century AD.
One of the king’s Brawijaya V son, Raden Patah was
the ruler of the Kingdom of Demak I, the government stands on the North Coast.
The spread of Islam in Java was very fast, up until it hits the centre of the
Kingdom of Majapahit where it was untenable. King Brawijaya V along with one of
his son Bondan Kejawan left Majapahit Kingdom and travelled towards the West
and arrived at a very peaceful place where he and his son stayed.
According to a source, the King took a step which
was to undertake the Muksa ceremony because he did not want to fight his son
Raden Patah (the first King of Demak). But this story about Brawijaya V has
been doubted by many historians. They believed the King undertook the Muksa
Ceremony by burning themselves. The flames of the Muksa Ceremony is what makes
the name Ngobaran Beach.
There are cultural relics in this Ngobaran beach,
like a relic of Hindu-Buddhist, because there are temples where the cult of the
temple is not to be entered just anyone.
According to the story of these buildings was
founded in 2003 by people who claim to be descendants of King Brawijaya V to
commenmorate the birth of Brawijaya V, one of the descendants of the king of
Majapahit, in Ngobaran.
There are also statues of gods clearly illustrates
that this Hindu-Buddhist relic, where many people make a statue as a tribute to
their ancestors. It’s exactly like Bali isn’t it!?
On the beach, you will be able to see Ngobaran
Joglo buildings where the people of Kejawan (note: not Kajawen) worship; Mosque
where the Muslims worship; and a Hindu temple which is located on a hill to the
west.
Uniquely, the mosque measuring approximately 3x4
meters is quite simple because the floor is covered with sand, as if it fused
with its beach. Interestingly, majority of mosques in Indonesia face towards
the West, but this mosque face towards the South. At the front, where the Imam usually
stands (a person leading the prayer) is open directly seeing the ocean. Not
many locals know the reason why it is like this. But for those who would like
to pray in this mosque there is a sign on the wall with a red pencil of the
actual direction of the Kiblah.
As for the access, there are two alternative ways
that you could reach Ngobaran Beach from the centre of Yogyakarta:
- · Yogyakarta - Landasan Udara Gading - Pertigaan Gading ke kanan - Playen - Paliyan - Trawono - Saptosari - Pantai Ngobaran
- Yogyakarta - Kota Wonosari - Paliyan - Trawono - Pantai Ngobaran
The entrance fee is only Rp. 3.000,-/person with
parking fee of Rp. 2.000,- for motorcycle or Rp. 5.000,- for 4-wheel vehicles.
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