The Philosophy of D.I. Yogyakarta’s Map Design, “Semar For Yogyakarta”
- Tanggal : 15 Januari 2026
- Jam : 11:32
By Farsijana Adeney-Risakotta, Ph.D (Founder of House Of Authentic Sense Foundation)
“Semar for Yogyakarta” is the title of the design of geographic map of province DI. Yogyakarta. Geographically, the contours of Yogyakarta province from north to south, from east to west, inspired the body shape of Semar. Semar is a figure in a wayang puppet who forms the warrior’s behaviour of the Pandavas to dare to defend justice, establish the truth and escort peace.
Semar stands in a position facing west. From Samigaluh, in Kulon Progo district, the western part of Borobudur temple looks like a lotus flower. This lotus flower is in the mouth of Semar which shows about the virtue and wisdom it conveys aims to strengthen human kind. In the peak of Merapi volcano on the north. This shows His eternity and modesty representing the everyday lives of ordinary people who love, keep and live in harmony with nature. Semar’s breathing hole from the throat to the anus is the Philosophical Axis of Yogyakarta, where the Ngayogyakarta Palace is the center of Hamemayu Hayuning Bawana.
To the east, the Opak river section provides an overview of Semar’s hand that work to build civilization such as Prambanan temple. Creator in his omnipotence, from which nothing, earth and human civilization is being created along to the time.
In the south, Semar’s two strongly built legs built the foundation of Yogyakarta which met the vast Indonesian ocean where the south coast queen was the guardian of the foundation of the archipelago. This view is understood from the micro and macro cosmos of the people in Java in general.
The green color in the body design of the map DI.Yogyakarta as Semar’s body that is green show about the fertility of the universe, this fertility continues to trickle in the nobleness and the knights of the gods down to humans.
The “Semar for Yogyakarta” map boundary is lined with “Kawung” motifs that characterize the clothing of punakawan in puppet. The “Semar for Yogyakarta” map also includes three UNESCO World Heritage Sites, namely Borobudur Temple, Prambanan Temple, and the Yogyakarta Philosophical Axis.
The “Semar For Yogyakarta” design has been copyrighted by Farsijana Adeney-Risakotta, Ph.D with copyright registration number 084374 dated November 11, 2016. The Griya Jati Rasa Consumer Cooperative has been granted permission to apply this design to several member products such as t-shirts, tablecloths, blankets, towels, mugs, and canvas bags.
