Cirebon historical tourism The palace is the residence of the king which has several buildings in it. The main function of the palace is as a residence for the sultan and a place to carry out his duties as the leader of political and socio-cultural activities. There are three palaces in Cirebon City that are still intact, namely Kasepuhan Palace, Kanoman Palace, and Kacirebonan Palace. If you notice that each palace has similar and iconic buildings or architecture, such as gates, plate walls, and white lion statues. On this occasion, I will discuss the white lion statue in Kanoman Palace, Cirebon City.
History and Establishment of the White Lion Statue of Kanoman Palace
According to Mr. Elang Harja’s explanation, the lion statue symbolizes the power of a dreamer. The formation of the two white lion statues means that strength comes from togetherness and balance. So, the leader’s strength must be supported by the ministers and the people. It must be balanced and there must be no gaps or only one of them is strong. All kingdoms in Java use the symbol of the lion because apart from the lion being a strong animal, the lion also has a very authoritative charisma. The color white has a neutral or positive meaning. So, ancient people built everything with half their body and soul. The color white does not mean holy, it just means that something we do begins with good and positive intentions. Don’t let there be elements of polytheism.
The strong and newest building
Since the 14th century, the government never renovate it yet the statue still strong, “So the problem with the renovation is that at least one of its legs is loose because of its age and maintenance is not very strict because it is for children to play here, but we can fix it. I’m back… like yesterday, one of his legs and ears was a little damaged, so I fixed it straight away. “Never shattered into pieces,” explained Mr. Elang Harja.
The Myth Behind the White Lion Statue
Behind the charismatic white lion statue, it turns out there are several myths myths that people believe and have experience by several residents, here is Mr. Elang Harja’s explanation regarding the myth of the statue “According to ancient residents, they had seen several times that the eyes of one of the lion statues could move like a human, such as blinking or glancing. And once a red stone merge from underground nearby and then floating upwards. “However, there is never any interference from jinn or other supernatural things,” he said.
The White Lion statue in the Kanoman Palace is a symbol of the strength of all kingdoms in Java. As well as a form of respect for ancestral religion and culture. This statue being a unique icon in every palace, especially the palace in Cirebon City. There are no elements of idolatry in it. Cirebon City has the nickname the City of Guardians. As a native citizen, I am very proud and respect all the cultures and religious differences that exist here.
Curious about Keraton Kanoman? click here!
Tri Aninda Venny Nurfitria
