experience the real Jogja...

If you are interested in doing Batik work, particularly painted Batik, you could come and join the greatest Batik workshop, Kalpika. Besides getting the basic and process of making Batik, you'll also experience a warm and friendly atmosphere. Talking briefly about the history, Kalpika was a pioneer of painted Batik workshop that was first established in 1972 at Tamansari. Today Kalpika is located at RT 38 RW 9, Kelurahan Patehan, Kecamatan Kraton, Yogyakarta. For information, the management of Kalpika uses a regeneration system. There has been 10 generations until now. Each generation has blood relative and different characters between one another.

With a vision to teach and educate the learners, the main activity of Kalpika is to teach tourists both local and foreign tourists, students of a school, and other people who want to learn how to paint Batik. The course fee is various depending on the work itself; the cloth size and the paint colors. Other activities held are setting kites up for a competition and music activity. There are two kinds of painted Batik in Kalpika, i.e. the general painted Batik and the specific one. To differentiate those two categories is by observing the characters of the pictures and the process of making it. The price of the specific painted Batik is much more expensive because the making process is more complicated with a limited production amount. The painted Batik produced by Kalpika has been marketed abroad, such as Malaysia, Singapore, America, and Europe. However there's an obstacle faced by Kalpika, i.e. their production amount is lost in marketing competition with printed Batik. Besides, there are many companies imitate the works produced by Kalpika.

According to the name itself, Kalpika is the abbreviation of Akal Pemuda Insan Keraton. There have been a lot of achievements gained by our friends in Kalpika. From many competitions that Kalpika follows, one of the greatest achievements is that Kalpika could produce achievers with monumental works which are well-known to abroad. The course in Kalpika is held every day except Sunday and holidays. For you who want to join Kalpika, you could choose a particular shift from 09.00 am-15.00 pm. Come and join!

Wayang kulit, which is described as a symbol of human's character in a performance, has become one of a tourism catcher in Yogyakarta. The meaning of wayang, that is called puppet shadow in English, is a shadow.

The making of wayang is closely related to a carving art. In this craft, the object that is being carved is the buffalo's skin. It is used because it has a strong skin quality.

Yogyakarta does not only keep historical heritage buildings but also so many wonderful art works. Classical Written Batik from Yogyakarta is a today art work that the preservation has been harmed with the limited Classical Written Batik producers who are still productive in the student city.

Some time ago, when our team hunted for tourism potencies in Kelurahan Kadipaten, Kecamatan Kraton, Yogyakarta, only some producers were found. One of them is a woman aged 74 named Bu Darto who has been producing her batik until today, although daily with the other seven women Batik workers, she produces Batik in Ngayogyakartahadiningrat Palace. The Palace has provided all of the materials needed for Batik making. Those workers were paid daily and given salary from the each Batik they have produced.