Another stone Inscription besides Plumpungan in Salatiga

After I finished my bachelor degree in almost three years ago, I do not have a further plan relating to my career. I just want to continue my study to master degree in overseas university. However, it took a great deal of time to wait for geting a sholarship, therefore I though that It is better during waiting such an opportunity I create a valuable activity in Salatiga. In this month, I modificated my bed room to be a small library and meeting room for public. In this space, all of my books collection can be accessed. I though that it is the important part for the society in a town like Salatiga to has a new sources of books relating to the History and Culture of Indonesia.  

In 22 July 2018, two days before Salatiga celebrated 1268 anniversary, I formed a forum to discuss about the inscription from 750 C named “Plumpungan” which become a basic of determination of Salatiga’s date of birth. I send an invitation to everyone who want to joint this forum through Instagram story, I though that not many youngsters had a desire to talk about history, however there were 13 people who came to this discussion.  It amazed me since it was the first time I created a discussion forum  of history and culture in Salatiga and the response was so amazing. 

This discussion started at 19.30 that was opened by a documenter film that I made with the film community in Salatiga in 2011. Then, I explained about several new sources that I was found in some literatures that was published in 1891 and 1915. Both literatures were fascinating since the author could explain another inscription in Salatiga besides “Plumpungan”. The literature that was published in 1915 written by Campbell explained that the name Salatiga came from three stones which showed an inscription and number 1330 and 1363 as a Caka year. The argument of Cambell was supported by Nijhof- The author of Verhandelingen van Het Bataviaasch Genootschap that was published in 1891. Nijhof said that one of the stone inscription that located near Tadjoeh village has been picked up to the museum of Batavia in that time. Unfortunately, today I do not know where is the Tadjoeh village is since I never hear before about the this area.

Several guests who came to this room also shared about their information relating to some relics from Hindu and Budha era that spread in surrounding Salatiga (Ngentak, Pancuran, Turusan, Senjaya). From the information of the guest I could analize that Hindu and Budha had a special position to the local society in Salatiga in that time. However, How could the civilization of the Hindu and Budha was lost in Salatiga?? There is no information relating to this fact. I tried to analize it, the position of Salatiga is in the foothills of Merbabu mountain, and the common accident which can demolish a tangible heritage was mountain eruption. Therefore, I tried to search information about when Merbabu actived in the past? Then I found that this mountain was actived and exploded in 1560 and 1797.

I guess that the first explotion was the bigest one that destroyed the tamples and another Hindu relics in Salatiga. Morover, H. D Graff reveal in his journal the titled De verdwenen tjandi te Salatiga or The lost temple in Salatiga that Trading company of Dutch named VOC build their third fort was in Salatiga. In this journal, De Graff explained that the ruins of the temple that was founded by VOC in Salatiga was used as a material to built Fortress the Hersteller (Salatiga fortress), then the location was in around Ramayana supermarket in Salatiga nowadays.

In the final part of this discussion, we agree that there is an another stone inscription besides Plumpungan in Salatiga so that we have a homework to find tadjoeh village where another inscription was located.

Thank you for being a reader of my blog.

BIG HUG

Abel Jatayu Prakosa

SALATIGA- a cup of Nusantara, 1 august 2018