Solo Batik Carnival, Indonesia

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What is the Solo Batik Carnival?

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The Solo Batik Carnival is an annual event held by the Surakarta city government that uses the “Batik” design style as the main material for the making of costumes and outfits. The celebration has no religious roots, but the style and thematic character of the celebration cause them to be recognized in this way. The participants of the carnivaldesign carnival costumes with different themes imposed each year, they themselves wear their own costumes and walk the catwalk in Slamet Riyadi.

Batik is a hand-dyed design that can be tailored to create different garments. Tthis design is recognized by UNESCO as Immaterial Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It is a unique handmade dyeing technique that can turn clothing into works of art.

 

 

The two famous traditional cloths produced in Solo are batik and Lurik. Batik is an important icon ofIndonesian culture and is a deeply rooted tradition in society. Traditionally the color used in Batik isblue to symbolize earth, brown to symbolize fire and white to symbolize air and water. Each of the designs may carry distinctive patterns and symbols. It should be noted that different regions of the country have their own patterns and styles of Batik, whose figures represent themes of everyday life. The patterns can come to represent the flora, fauna or even social events of the region.

In some regions such as Japan, China, Malaysia, Egypt and Singapore similar patterns can be found and the some of the most recognized types of Batik are Batik Kraton,Batik sudagaran, Batik peasant among others.

 

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When is the Solo Batik Carnival

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The Solo Batik Carnival is usually held in the middle of the year. The Solo Batik Carnival will take place from approximately July 15 to 20.

 

 

History of Solo Batik Carnivals

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The history of theSolo Batik Carnivals is quite recent, having been born in 2008 as a vehicle to prpromote the Batik designs of the two main locations that produce them; Laweyan and Kauman. The carnivals have been responsible for promoting tourism in the city. The aim of the carnivals is to preserve, develop and introduce batik as the nation’s culture to the community publicize the image of Batik cloth.

Since their beginnings the carnivals were exclusive to Indonesia. However, since a few years ago, the organizers have invited the 10 countries belonging to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to participate in this event with the aim of diversifying the event..

Initially the design of Batik was done only by Javanese women and was their way of earning a living, but today men are allowed to participate in the tradition of Batik.

 

Where is the Solo Batik Carnival

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Solo Batik carnivals are held in Surakarta city, also colloquially known as “Solo”, in theCentral Java province of Indonesia. The carnivals are mainly held on Slamet Riyadi Street which is where the parades are held.

 

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How the Solo Batik Carnival is celebrated

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The purpose of the Solo Batik Carnival is to publicize the batik design, particular to the town of Java. The celebration is quite simple since the purpose is to disclose the pieces of clothing that the more than 300 participants carry with them. During this day there is a parade of about 4 kilometers where participants wear their costumes with the iconic Batik design, which must be compulsorily present.

If you want to know more about tourism in this country I recommend this guide:.

 

In addition to this, there are some small minor events such as traditional dances of the country. This carnival is one of the main attractions, receiving tourists from different parts of the country and the world, which makes it a perfect event to publicize the traditions of the locality.

 

Tips to go to the Solo Batik Carnivals

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If you want to visit these unique carnivals that transmit the origins of the cultural traditions of the locality, we advise you to plan your trip in advance, make a travel itinerary and book your accommodation since these carnivals are quite crowded and will be even more so after the integration of the 10 countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that began to be part of the carnivals since 2019.

Additionally, we recommend you to contact the relevant authorities in your country in case you need any travel permit to access the country.

 

Events in Solo Batik Carnival

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The main event is the parade of the costumes with Batik motifs and patterns, in which the hundreds of participants parade for 4 kilometers the different garments with batik motifs. In addition to this, there are small performances of dancers along the parade.

This celebration is a unique and special event where participants have the opportunity to give knowledge of the traditions and art of their region, which will allow them to develop and consolidate Indonesia as a tourist power in the region.

 

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Solo Batik Carnival Parades

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During theBaklahorani carnival there is a single parade, which functions as a kind offashion runways where each of the participants has the opportunity to show off their garments with the different iconic batik patterns. The parade has a distance of 4 kilometers starting on the main street of the city of Surakarta.

 

 

The parade has managed to attract a large number of tourists who each year add more importance to the event. The celebration is of such importance that it has counted with the participation of the president of the nation, who also walked in the parade.

 

Parade route

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The parade starts in the main street of Solo city, with a 4 kilometers path that works as a catwalk where participants have the opportunity to show off their designs and garments characteristic of the Batik style.

 

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What to eat at the Solo Batik Carnival

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Thecity of Solo offers you some typical dishes that you can try during your visit in the upcoming carnivals. Some typical dishes of the area are the Nasi Bakar which is composed of a steamed rice bun seasoned with spices and other ingredients wrapped in a banana leaf. One of the most common and typical desserts of the area is the Es Dawet Selasih, a kind of ice cream with coconut milk, albaca seeds and sugar.

The city also offers you some options of venues that you can visit if you decide to travel to the city in the upcoming carnivals. Some of the most famous places are RM Adem Ayem, Soto Gading or Timlo Sastro that offer local, Asian and vegetarian food.

 

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Travel Insurance

 

From Carnavalesdelmundo.org we recommend to hire a good insurance to visit this carnival and to know the rest of the country. For being our readers we offer a 5% discount on all IATI insurance. Read more information about all insurance offers here:

 

 

What to see and do inside the Solo Batik Carnival

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Inside the carnivals you can see the different garments that the participants wear, paying special detail on the characteristic batik patterns. Also, it is a great opportunity tolearn about their culture, history and cultural heritage of this art style through the parades, costumes and garments.

If you don’t want to get complicated, here you can book interesting excursions in Spanish in this city:.

 

What to see and do outside the Solo Batik Carnivals

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The city of Solo has a wealth of attractions you can visit.

Museum Batik Danar Hadi

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It is a museum of batik textile arts, where different fabrics are arranged, demonstrations and also different pieces are for sale.

 

Mangkunegaran Palace

It is the Royal Residence since 1757, some of its sections are open to the public for different visits.

 

Surakarta Hadiningrat Palace

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It is a palace dating from the 18th century, which housed King Pakubuwono II and his royal court.

Also if you want to visit museums and important buildings in this city we recommend that you book the entrance in advance through Tiquets: .

 

Safety at Solo Batik Carnivals

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Although Indonesia and the city of Surakarta are safe places, there are some risks you should take into consideration. One of them is the geographical instability of the areas, some social unrest and theft. When you go out, keep an eye on your surroundings and keep your belongings in a safe place. Also, we recommend the following products to keep your belongings safe:

 

 

Weather at Solo Batik Carnival

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During the celebration of Solo Batik Carnival, the weather is quite pleasant. The temperature ranges from 25 to 28 degrees Celsius with low humidity.

 

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How to get to Solo Batik Carnivals

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How to get there by plane

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The city of only has its own Surakarta-Adisumarmo Wiryokusumo International Airport, where it receives daily flights from other regions of the country and international flights, from there you can use the different means to approach the carnival.

We recommend buying airline tickets through Kiwi.com or Skyscanner where they are usually cheaper. More information on this link to review Kiwi.com..

 

How to get there by train

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From the airport you can take the train that will take you to the town of Jatinegara. From there you must move to the Java locality on foot.

 

How to get there by bus

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From the airport go to the town of Gemolong. By cab it will take you about 20 minutes. Then take the bus to the station in Jakarta. When you get there, you have to walk to Lenteng Agung on foot, it will take you about 4 minutes. Finally take the train from Lenteng Agung to Manggarai and from there walk until you reach the town of Java.

 

How to get there by car

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You can take a private vehicle from the airport, take the main road to Java. This journey will take you about 6 hours.

 

Where to stay at Solo Batik Carnival

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Booking.com

 

Swiss-Belinn Saripetojo Solo

3 star hotel 4.8 km from the city center. The hotel has a restaurant, parking, gym and bar. Rooms have air conditioning and closet.

 

The Alana Hotel & Convention Center Solo by ASTON

4-star hotel 7 kilometers from the city center. Facilities include restaurant, room service and internet. Rooms have air conditioning, television and private bathrooms with toiletries.

 

Ibis Styles Solo

3-star hotel 2.5 km from the city center. Offers parking and fitness center. Facilities have free Wifi only in the lobby and each room has internet connection. Rooms have air conditioning and television.

We recommend you use Booking.com to book hotels at a good price, check more information here:.

 

Thank you for reading

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