About Ponorogo City
Ponorogo is the second level region (district) occupying southwest side of East Java capital city with the total area 1,402.92 kilometer squares. The district is geographically located between 111 – 17 to 111 – 52 East longitude and between 7 – 491 to 8 – 20 South latitude. Ponorogo is bordered on:
the north: by the districts of Madiun Magetan and Nganjuk
the east : by the districts of Trenggalek and Kediri
the south: by the districts of Pacitan and Trenggalek
the west : by the districts of Pacitan and Wonogiri (Central Java Province)
According to population census in 1994 the number of Ponorogo population is 869,149 persons by the level growth around 0.66% per year. In average Ponorogo is populated by 579 per kilometer squares. It is projected in the year of 2000, the number of population will be 897,236 persons.
GOVERNMENTAL ADMINISTRATION
Administratiuely Ponorogo contains assistances to regent authority, 19 subdistricts, 2 assistances to subdistrict, 227 villages in urban area and 26 villages in rural area.
How to Ponorogo
The Ponorogo Regency was located on the south-west of Surabaya. The distance of the capital of the Ponorogo regency to the capital of this East Java province is about 200 km. This distance could reached by the land trip by bus during ± 5 hours. While, from the capital of the Country Jakarta be at 800 km. From Solo, the city of Central Java could be 3 hours through Wonogiri or 4 hours through Madiun. Usually Madiun becomes the capital of transit when the travelling person travelled by the train. In the meantime when they want to travel by the aircraft they could change to plane in Surabaya or in the Solo.
From the South, could be served by the Pacitan bus route – Ponorogo and Trenggalek – Ponorogo. There are various sorts of the route of the rural Transport (ANGDES) and the urban Transport (ANGKOT) In the personally regency. They connected the subdistrict with the capital of the regency. Could be said, there was no subdistrict that was not covered by the public’s transport. Beside the ANGDES and ANGKOT they also has the pedicab transport, the buggy and the taxi bike
Reog, the identity of Ponorogo
Ponorogo is most well known for the The dance known as Reog. It is a very spectacular dance with several dancers wearing bright colorful costumes accompanied by merry gamelan music.
It is always played in the open terrain, such as in a square, street etc. This dance which always draws a lot of spectators is a traditional art dance combined with magical show or a trance dance.
Reog dance
The reog dates back during the Hindu period in East Java. The story is related with the legend in Ponorogo Kingdom (+/- 70 km South East of Solo). Nowadays reog dance groups can be found also in other regions of Solo, Yogya, Other Towns in East Java, Kalimantan, Jakarta, even in Suriname. One of the famous group is Reog Prambanan in the border of Yogyakarta – Solo.
The Story
The powerful King Kelono Sewandono of Ponorogo Kingdom was famous with his fighting skills and magical power, accompanied by his Patih (Prime Minister) Bujanganom & his strong soldiers were attacked by King Singabarong, The King of Lions of Kediri Jungle, supported by his army, consisted of Lions and Peacocks.
At that time the Ponorogo’s group were on the way to The Kingdom of Kediri guarding King Sewandono to marry Dewi Ragil Kuning, a princess of Kediri Kingdom.
There was a big fight between mighty warriors having magical power. The peacocks flew up and down flapping their wings to support The Lions – Singa Barong.
Bujanganom with his magic whip, supported by some Waroks in black traditional dress defeated The King Lion with all his followers.
The King of Ponorogo and his soldiers merrily continued their way to Kediri on horse back. Singa Barong joint the procession The Peacocks kept close to Singa Barong opened their tail feathers which looked like beautiful fan. (Warok of Ponorogo is a man with strong magical power, always dresses in black costumes)
The Performance
The central figure of this dance is The Lion King Singa Barong represented by a dancer wearing a mask of a Lion carrying a large peacock feather fan on top of the mask (this mask is locally called : Topeng Dadak Merak). It weight around 50 kg. The dancer has to use his teeth to hold the mask from inside.
He must have a very strong set of teeth and neck to move around the mask Dadak Merak. On top of this, he has also to carry a lady representing Princess Ragil Kuning. Or sometimes, he has to demonstrate his skill and strength by carrying another mask dancer on top of him, and still he could dance with vigorous and fantastic movements.
King Kelono Sewandono wearing a mask and a crown is a stylish dancer, Bujanganom also wearing a mask is an acrobatic dancer.
The Waroks in black costumes,
Jatilan – good looking young soldiers riding flat bamboo horses (Kuda Kepang).
Caplokan – Wears a dragon mask to lure Singa Barong to dance more livelly.
It is important to note that a reog dance group must have at least one “Wong Tuwo” (Old Man) or “Wong Pinter” (Clever Man) dealing with magical matters.
In a certain celebration several reog groups could perform together, sometimes until 100 groups.
Nowadays there is a reog groups with all dancers are woman, the only one is from Wonogiri regency, district of Slogohimo (50 km South of Solo).
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