An Overlooked Bathing Beauty

A five-minute walk from the sultan’s famous abode and Yogyakarta’s other tourist haunts lies an enticing but largely overlooked estate. Sonja Fransisca walks the gardens of Taman Sari on a journey of discovery.

Taman Sari, built in 1758 by Sultan Hamengkubuwono I, is a sprawling complex that houses bathing pools, a mysterious underground mosque and a bird’s-eye view of the kampong that has since enveloped the area.

The recreational palace combines Portuguese aquatic construction and Javanese ornamentation in its architecture, accompanied by as many colorful tales as the locals can think of about its history.

Through a tall, recently refurbished entrance, visitors enter a small garden that leads to three pools where the royal family relaxed. One pool is separated from the others by a two-story building with windows overlooking the waters.

The sultan, the guides will tell you, would select from among his wives and concubines for a passionate time upstairs by tossing a flower toward the chosen one from his upper vantage point. There seems to have been some embellishment of history here; considering the distance and how light petals are, the possibility of the bloom landing on the right girl -- or reaching anybody for that matter – is slim.

Others have surmised the building was used for more spiritual activities of daily prayers and meditation.

For those seeking a more somber atmosphere for their religious observances, there is Sumur Gemuling, a subterranean mosque hidden away from the encroaching kampong.

Stepping into the underground mosque was eerie amid the creeping darkness; the path opens at a centerpoint, with the stairs climbing to a platform between the two-story tunnels.

A cleric leads prayers on the platform, locals say. But the tunnels, they add, lead the sultan to the coast for clandestine meetings with his mystical wife, the queen of the southern sea, Nyai Roro Kidul.  

Fanciful legends aside, the cool air and serene atmosphere make a visit to the mosque a soothing experience. The combination of rigid squares and elegant bows amid the light earth walls and grayish concrete attracts eager shutterbugs, and it also makes for a great place to zone out.

Recent restorations have scraped away at some of the complex's originality -- the barong relief on one gate looks so freshly painted it can't be more than a few years old. However, restoring its finery is better than having such beauty left to wallow in obscurity.

With its serene atmosphere and breezy surroundings, Taman Sari is an ideal place to shut out the noise and relax. All you have to do is stare into the distance and leap into the mythical, glorious past.

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