Samudra Raksa

Last updated
Samudra Raksa dari depan, dengan layar terkembang seperti sayap angsa.jpg
Samudra Raksa viewed from the front
History
NameSamudra Raksa, Samudraraksa, Lallai Beke Ellau
Launched2003
General characteristics
TypeReplica ship
Length19 metres (62.34 ft)
Beam4.25 metres (13.94 ft)
Draft1.5 metres (4.92 ft)
PropulsionSails, paddles, and 2 × Dongjiong 22k outboard motor (22 PS (21.70 hp) each) [1] [2]
Sail plan Tanja sail. 3 sails on 2 vertical masts and 1 bowsprit.
Speed9 knots (16.67 km/h) [3]
NotesThe engines are only used for maneuvering in the port [1]

SamudraRaksa (Old Javanese: Defender of the seas) [4] is a replica ship built in 2003 based on the relief of ships in the Borobudur temple. In the late 20th century, Philip Beale, a British sailor, became interested in depictions of the ship at Borobudur and decided to reconstruct one. Aided by government and international bodies, he organized an expedition team that constructed the ship and, from 2003 to 2004, sailed it from Indonesia to Madagascar and to Ghana, proving that long-distance trade could have occurred. The Samudra Raksa Museum was constructed at Borobudur Archeological Park to house the ship, opening in 2005, and provides other displays to interpret the ancient maritime history of Indonesians.

Contents

Description

The keel is 17.29 m long and the hull is about 19 m overall with a beam of 4.25 m and moulded depth of 2.25 m. The sailing draft was approximately 1.5 m. The ship was propelled by two layar tanja (canted rectangular sails). The hull planking was bungor (sometimes called ‘benteak’) and decks were teak. [5] The ship was not constructed with tall shields on the bow and stern like the reliefs because they obstructed the view to an extent that contravened Regulations for the Prevention of Collision at Sea. [6]

The ship was named Lallai Beke Ellau (Bajo for "running with the sun") by its builder. [7] The ship has 2 motors that are attached to the sides, their function is to maneuver when the boat is about to depart or when the boat is out of wind. [2]

Borobudur ship expedition

Based on archeological and other evidence, scholars have learned that the bas reliefs of Borobudur depict the everyday life of 8th-century ancient Java, from courtly palace life to that of commoners in the village. An array of temple, marketplace, architecture, flora and fauna, dress, jewelry and fashion are portrayed, as well as modes of transportation including palanquins, horse carriages and ships.

The reconstructed Borobudur ship as the centerpiece of Samudra Raksa Museum Samudra Raksa Borobudur Ship.jpg
The reconstructed Borobudur ship as the centerpiece of Samudra Raksa Museum

In 1982, Philip Beale, a British sailor who previously served in the British Royal Navy, visited Borobudur to study traditional ships and marine traditions; he became fascinated with ten bas-relief images of ancient vessels depicted on Borobudur. [8] He planned to reconstruct this ancient ship and to reenact the ancient maritime trade route. [9] Working from very limited data—five stone carvings—but also his extensive naval experience, Beale organized an expedition team to reconstruct the ship and sail it from Jakarta in Indonesia to Madagascar, and then around the Cape of Good Hope to the west coast of Africa. He enlisted artisan experts and scholars in the effort.

The expedition route. Borobudur ship expedition route.jpg
The expedition route.

Extensive research and design work preceded the building of the ship by a team of experienced Indonesian ship builders, based in the Kangean Islands some 60 miles north of Bali. Nick Burningham, an acknowledged expert on Indonesian watercraft and maritime archaeology, supervised the building of the vessel. The ship was built by Assad Abdullah al-Madani, a seasoned Indonesian traditional ship builder, and his men, [10] with little more than a balsa wood model that Burningham had created to help him. The vessel is named Samudra Raksa (defender of the seas) and was inaugurated in Benoa Harbor, Bali on 15 July 2003 by the Minister for Tourism and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia, I Gede Ardika, together with Philippe Delanghe, UNESCO Office Jakarta Program Specialist for Culture.

A replica of Indonesian Borobudur ship at Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore. Indonesian Borobudur ship RWS.jpg
A replica of Indonesian Borobudur ship at Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore.

The expedition took place during the 6 months from August 2003 until February 2004. It started in Tanjung Priok harbour, Jakarta on 30 August 2003, launched by President Megawati Sukarnoputri, and arrived in the port of Tema, Accra, Ghana on 23 February 2004. The epic voyage demonstrated ancient trading links between Indonesia and Africa (in particular Madagascar and East Africa). Vessels traveled by what was historically called the "Cinnamon shipping route" from Indonesian waters across the Indian Ocean to the Seychelles, Madagascar, and then past South Africa to Ghana for trade. [11]

Today the Samudra Raksa is housed and displayed in Samudra Raksa Museum, located a few hundred meters north of Borobudur temple within the complex of Borobudur Archaeological Park. The Ship Museum Samudra Raksa was opened by Coordinating Minister for Welfare, Prof. Dr. Alwi Shihab of the Republic of Indonesia, on 31 August 2005. It was a tribute to the crew and all who worked with and supported the Borobudur Ship Expedition.

On stamps

In 2005, two stamps was released in commemoration of the expedition:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borobudur</span> 9th-century Buddhist temple in Java, Indonesia

Borobudur, also transcribed Barabudur is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple in Magelang Regency, not far from the town of Muntilan, in Central Java, Indonesia. It is the world's largest Buddhist temple. The temple consists of nine stacked platforms, six square and three circular, topped by a central dome. It is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and originally 504 Buddha statues. The central dome is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues, each seated inside a perforated stupa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Javanese people</span> Ethnic group in Indonesia

The Javanese are an ethnic group native to the central and eastern part of the Indonesian island of Java. With approximately 100 million people, Javanese people are the largest ethnic group in Indonesia and the whole Southeast Asia in general. Their native language is Javanese, which belongs to the Austronesian language family. Javanese is the largest regional language in Southeast Asia and one of the largest in the world. The Javanese as the largest ethnic group in Indonesia have dominated the political and social landscape in the past as well as in modern Indonesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mataram Kingdom</span> Former Javanese country

The Mataram Kingdom was a Javanese Hindu–Buddhist kingdom that flourished between the 8th and 11th centuries. It was based in Central Java, and later in East Java. Established by King Sanjaya, the kingdom was ruled by the Shailendra dynasty and Ishana dynasty.

Urduja was a legendary warrior princess recorded in the travel accounts of Ibn Battuta. She was described to be a princess of Kaylukari in the land of Tawalisi. Though the locations of Kaylukari and Tawalisi are disputed, in the Philippines Urduja is widely believed to be from Pangasinan, and has since been regarded as a national heroine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danielle Eubank</span> American painter

Danielle Eubank is an American oil painter and expedition artist with a studio in Los Angeles, known for her paintings of bodies of water, as well as One Artist Five Oceans, in which she sailed and painted all of the world's oceans to raise awareness about climate change. All her artwork is done in an environmentally responsible manner, with high quality environmentally friendly materials. She was a recipient of the Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant in 2014–2015.

Maritime history dates back thousands of years. In ancient maritime history, evidence of maritime trade between civilizations dates back at least two millennia. The first prehistoric boats are presumed to have been dugout canoes which were developed independently by various Stone Age populations. In ancient history, various vessels were used for coastal fishing and travel. A mesolithic boatyard has been found from the Isle of Wight in Britain

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pinisi</span> Type of rigging of Indonesian sailing vessels

Literally, the word pinisi refers to a type of rigging of Indonesian sailing vessels. A pinisi carries seven to eight sails on two masts, arranged like a gaff-ketch with what is called 'standing gaffs' — i.e., unlike most Western ships using such a rig, the two main sails are not opened by raising the spars they are attached to, but the sails are 'pulled out' like curtains along the gaffs which are fixed at around the centre of the masts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borobudur Temple Compounds</span> Historic site in Magelang, Central Java

Borobudur Temple Compounds is the World Heritage designation of the area of three Buddhist temples in Central Java, Indonesia. It comprises Borobudur, Mendut, and Pawon. The temples were built during the Shailendra dynasty around the 8th and 9th centuries CE, and fall on a straight line.

Indian Ocean Trade has been a key factor in East–West exchanges throughout history. Long-distance trade in dhows and proas made it a dynamic zone of interaction between peoples, cultures, and civilizations stretching from Southeast Asia to East and South East Africa and East Mediterranean in the West in prehistoric and early historic periods. Cities and states on the Indian Ocean rim focused on both the sea and the land.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Science and technology in Indonesia</span> Overview of science and technology in Indonesia

Indonesia may not be considered one of the leading countries in science and technology developments. However, there are numerous examples of notable scientific and technological innovation, developments and achievements contributed by Indonesians. Despite being a developing country, Indonesia is one of a handful nations that have developed their own aerospace technology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borobudur ship</span> 8th-century sailing vessel depicted in bas reliefs of Borobudur, Java, Indonesia

A Borobudur ship is the 8th to 9th-century wooden double outrigger sailing vessel of Maritime Southeast Asia depicted in some bas reliefs of the Borobudur Buddhist monument in Central Java, Indonesia. It is a ship of Javanese people, derivative vessels of similar size still survived in East Java coastal trade at least until the 1940s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samudra Raksa Museum</span> Maritime museum, Archaeology museum in Central Java, Indonesia

Samudra Raksa Museum is a maritime museum that was built several hundred meters north of the 8th-century Borobudur Buddhist monument, within the Borobudur archaeological complex, Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. The museum features and interprets the ancient maritime Indian Ocean trade among between ancient Indonesia, Madagascar, and East Africa, popularly dubbed as "the cinnamon route". The centerpiece of museum is the full-scale reconstruction of the 8th-century Borobudur ship. It was used in a successful expedition from Indonesia to Madagascar and Ghana in 2003—2004. The Borobudur Ship — a 25 meter-long wooden ship modeled after wall reliefs found on the 8th century Borobudur temple in Central Java.

K'un-lun po were ancient sailing ships used by Austronesian sailors from Maritime Southeast Asia, described by Chinese records from the Han Dynasty. In the first millennium AD, these ships connected trade routes between India and China. Ships of this type were still in use until at least the 14th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karmawibhangga Museum</span> Archaeology museum in Central Java , Indonesia

Karmawibhangga Museum also known as Borobudur Museum, is an archaeology museum located just several hundred meters north of 8th century Borobudur Buddhist monument, within Borobudur Archaeological Park, Magelang Regency, Central Java, Indonesia. The museum featuring pictures of Karmawibhangga bas reliefs carved on the hidden foot of Borobudur, some disassembled Borobudur stones, archaeological artifacts found around Borobudur and Central Java. The museum also displays the Borobudur architecture and structure, also the documentation of restoration project conducted between 1975 and 1982 under UNESCO guidance. The museum was built in traditional Javanese architecture; the joglo house with pendopo pavilion. The museum is integrated within Borobudur Archaeological Park inaugurated in 1983.

This is a timeline of events in maritime history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indonesia–Madagascar relations</span> Bilateral relations

Indonesia–Madagascar relations spans for over a millennium, since the ancestors of the people of Madagascar sailed across the Indian Ocean from the Nusantara Archipelago back in 8th or 9th century AD. Indonesia has an embassy in Antananarivo, while Madagascar does not have an accreditation to Indonesia. It was announced in December 2017 that Madagascar would be opening an embassy in Jakarta in 2018, however, as of 2022, Madagascar has not yet opened an embassy in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philip Beale</span> British sailor

Phillip Beale is a British sailor, adventurer, expedition leader and entrepreneur. He led the Borobudur Ship Expedition and the 2008-10 Phoenician Expedition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archaeology of Indonesia</span>

The archaeology of Indonesia is the study of the archaeology of the archipelagic realm that today forms the nation of Indonesia, stretching from prehistory through almost two millennia of documented history. The ancient Indonesian archipelago was a geographical maritime bridge between the political and cultural centers of Ancient India and Imperial China, and is notable as a part of ancient Maritime Silk Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Djong (ship)</span> Javanese sailing ship

The djong, jong, or jung is a type of ancient sailing ship originating from Java, Indonesia that was widely used by Javanese, Sundanese, and later Malay sailors. The word was and is spelled jong in its languages of origin, the "djong" spelling being the colonial Dutch romanization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Padewakang</span>

Padewakang were traditional boats used by the Bugis, Mandar, and Makassar people of South Sulawesi. Padewakang were used for long distance voyages serving the south Sulawesi kingdoms.

References

  1. 1 2 Pareanom 2005, p. 43.
  2. 1 2 kompas.id; Subyandono, Eristo (2003-10-30). "Kisah Perjalanan Awak Perahu Borobudur Perahu Zig-zag Melawan Angin". Jelajah Kompas. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
  3. Pareanom 2005, p. 102.
  4. For the meaning of samudra and rakṣa, see Zoetmulder, P. J. (1982). Old Javanese-English dictionary. The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff. p. 1492 and 1644. ISBN   9024761786.
  5. Beale 2006, p. 22.
  6. Burningham 2019, p. 186.
  7. Pareanom 2005, p. 28.
  8. Grice, Elizabeth (17 March 2004). "A strange kind of dream come true". The Telegraph. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
  9. Sean Woods (4 March 2004). "Sailing the Cinnamon Route". IOL. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
  10. Abriansyah, Taufik. "Ekspedisi Borobudur : Napak Tilas Memperkaya Batin". Majalah Gatra. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  11. Peter Janssen (15 September 2003). "Borobudur Ship Follows Ancient Spice Route". Arab News. Retrieved 3 November 2015.

Bibliography