PAK TARNO
JAKA TARUB - KHRISNA AND PANDAWA - RAMAYANA
PATIH GAJAH MADA & RAJA HAYAM WURUK - BEGAWAN MINTORO
JAKA TARUB
Every generation of Indonesians has its own way of retelling folk lores. Tarno does exactly just that with his wood carving titled "Jaka Tarub." The tale of Jaka Tarub originated from Java. It tells the story of a man named Jaka Tarub, who marries an angel named Nawang Wulan. The meeting of the two occurs when Jaka Tarub is out hunting in the woods and happens upon the sound of female voices coming from the waterfall. Curious, Jaka Tarub follows them across the woods and is met with the sight of 7 angels taking a bath. Upon seeing that, he goes and grabs one of the angels' shawls lying by the waterfall. When the angels are finished with their baths, unsurprisingly, one of them cannot find her shawl, and that angel's name is Nawang Wulan. Without her shawl, Nawang Wulan cannot return to heaven with the others, and they all leave her behind. Playing the hero, Jaka Tarub then shows up with a change of clothes and brings her home to his dwelling. Soon after, he marries her.
A saying once says that no matter how well you cover up a carcass, the smell would still make its way to you. Such is the nature of lies and dishonesty, the truth will always triumph in the end. That is exactly what happens with Jaka Tarub and the shawl that he has stolen from his wife. One day, while taking rice from its container, Nawang Wulan discovers her missing shawl hidden underneath. Shocked, she takes the shawl and confronts her husband. Nawang Wulan, feeling betrayed, decides to return home to heaven, leaving Jaka Tarub alone with his feeling of regrets.
KHRISNA AND PANDAWA
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This wooden carving is the handiwork of an artist named Tarno. The 224 cm x 140 cm piece of artwork tells the story of Khrisna and the Pandavas--or Khrisna and the Pandawas as they are known as in the Indonesian version of Mahabharata. In Mahabharata, Krisna is the reincarnation of Wisnu (Vishnu), a Hindu god. He is the eighth son of Basudewa (Vasudeva) and Dewaki (Devaki). In Sanskrit, Pandawa directly translates to the child of Pandu, which is who the five Pandawas are. Their names are Yudistira, Arjuna, Bima, Nakula, and Sadewa. The five Pandawas and Khrisna are brought together by their familial connection. Khrisna's father, Basudewa, is the brother of Kunti, mother of the Pandawas. From this, a strong bond is formed between the six of them.
RAMAYANA
This amazingly detailed wood carving is the work of Tarno. The 224 cm x 140 cm artwork tells the story of Ramayana. Ramayana, which originated from India, is a very popular tale in Indonesia. The title translates to "Rama's journey," and it is through Rama's character progression that the story flows. Some say that this epic was written by one called Walmiki. Though the story is divided into 7 parts (Bala Kandha, Ayodya Kandha, Aranyaka Kandha, Kriskindha Kandha, Sundara Kandha, Yudha Kandha, and Utara Kandha), one, in particular, captures the imagination of many. It is the part where Rama comes to the rescue of his wife, Shinta, who is taken by the giant Rahwana. Like Romeo and Juliet in the West, the fame of Rama and Shinta's story goes far and beyond among the people in the East.
PATIH GAJAH MADA & RAJA HAYAM WURUK
This 246 cm x 140 cm wooden engraving is the creation of an artist by the name of Tarno. He captured a scene from the Majapahit Empire's illustrious history within this artwork. Way before the archipelago unites under the flag of Indonesia, it united under the rule of the Majapahit Empire. The empire reached its most glorious era during Hayam Muruk's rule in 1350 - 1389. Such an achievement was made possible by the support of a Patih (Prime Minister) named Gajah Mada. Amazingly, Gajah Mada's fame surpasses that of the very person he served. He is still a very well-known figure among present-day Indonesians. It is due to the oath he made upon being made a prime minister. The oath, which is known by the name of the Palapa oath, goes like this, "If I succeed in conquering Nusantara; When Gurun, Seran, Tanjung, Pura, Haru, Pahang, Dompo, Bali, Sunda, Palembang, and Tumasik are defeated, then I will eat palapa (another way of saying rest)." Gajah Mada made good of his oath. The Majapahit Empire ruled over 98 kingdoms during his time as prime minister.
BEGAWAN MINTORO
Begawan Mintoro is the name that Arjuna went with during his hermitage in the Indrakila mountain. Though Arjuna is a fictional wayang character, the mountain is actually real, and it stands in Central Java. In this chapter of Arjuna's story, he is trying to cleanse and prepare himself for the coming Baratayuda war. During the hermitage, Arjuna was tested with many temptations. Seven apsaras were sent down from the heavens to seduce him. When they failed, a different group of apsaras replaced them, taking the form of those close to Arjuna. They are his wives Dewi Wara Sembadra, Dewi Wara Srikandi, Niken Larasati, Niken Sulastri, and his son, Abimanyu. Even that eventually failed to tempt Arjuna away from his hermitage.
Some sources say that the first Indonesian president, President Soekarno, went on a hermitage to the Indrakila Mountain as well. He did it to receive Wahyu Keprabon or Wahyu Cakraningrat, a form of spiritual legitimization or blessings meant for chosen leaders. It is also said that during his time there, Soekarno received a sacred item. Until now, many still visit the mountain to do their hermitage, be it to find peace or purpose.