experience the real Jogja...

A visit to Yogyakarta will not complete if you do not visit to Tamansari Water Palace, located close to the Kraton Royal Residence. The tourism office at the Kraton records monthly totals of between 6500 and 7000 visitors to Tamansari, with an increase recorded at holidays. The tourists also bring with them economic benefits for the people in the surrounding area, especially in the promotion of batik handicraft which has been developed into a thriving industry.

One of the batik craftmen in Kraton is Drs. Hadjir Digdodarmodjo, a graduate of IKIP (Institute of Teacher's Training) Yogyakarta, who has experienced in teaching batik to western people more than 25 years. His name is famous all over the world as a batik teacher. In his own city, instead he is less famous. There are still many Jogjaneses who have not known yet that actually there is a Jogjanese who has succeeded in preserving Jogja batik to many foreign countries in the world. Hadjir is the only teacher of "Intensive Batik Course" in Taman, KT 1/314, Yogyakarta 55133.

Mr. Hajir said that he was inspired to open the batik course in 1970 when he met a couple of tourists from Thailand. They wanted to learn about the batik art but could not find a course. Most of the foreigners are motivated by curiosity about making batik as their own countries do not have the batik courses. Hadjir also said that he had taught hundreds of tourists from Austria, America, Australia, France, Germany, Canada, Japan, and Korea.

His lessons include:

1. History of batik and traditional design

2. Formulae varius waxes used

3. How to prepare and use chemical dye and natural dye

4. How to hold and use wax pen (canting), and cleans it

5. How to apply wax in fine and thick lines

6. How to use batik stamp (cap)

7. How to remove wax from cloth

Intensive Batik Course's visions are to help the government's effort to holdback the foreigners to stay any longer in Yogyakarta, to preserve Jogja Batik, and to seek for income.