Purwokerto
| Purwokerto | |
|---|---|
| City | |
 | |
  Purwokerto | |
| Coordinates: 7°26′29″S 109°14′39.79″E / 7.44139°S 109.2443861°ECoordinates: 7°26′29″S 109°14′39.79″E / 7.44139°S 109.2443861°E | |
| Country | Indonesia |
| Province | Central Java |
| Regency | Banyumas Regency |
| Area | |
| • Total | 38.58 km2 (14.90 sq mi) |
| Population (2005) | |
| • Total | 249,705 |
| Time zone | WIB (UTC+7) |
| Area code(s) | 0281 |
Purwokerto is a city on the island of Java, Indonesia. It is the capital of Banyumas Regency, Central Java region. The estimated population of the city in 2005 was 249,705.[1]
Geography
Purwokerto is located near the base of Mount Slamet, the tallest volcano in Central Java. The city is bisected by the Kali Kranji (Kranji River). It lies near two major east-west roads, Jalan Sudirman and Jalan Gatot Subroto. Its geographic location is 7°26′S 109°14′E / 7.433°S 109.233°E.
History
The history of Purwokerto as the capital of the Banyumas Regency is intertwined with the history of Banyumas itself. Banyumas was established in 1582 by Raden Joko Kahiman. He later became the came the first regent, Duke Mrapat.
The Sultanate of Pajang
Following the unintentional killing of Adipati Wirasaba VI in District Lowano (now Purworejo), Sultan Hadiwijaya summoned Joko Kahiman, the dead man's son in law. The Sultan made Kahiman "Adipati Wirasaba VII" (regent of Wirasaba) and divided the Wirasaba regency into four parts,
- Banjar region given to Kyai Ngabei Wirayuda
- Meden territory given to Kyai Ngabei Wirakusuma
- Wirasaba territory given to Kyai Ngabei Wargawijaya
- Kejawar territory was controlled by the Sultan himself. There, he opened the mangli forest and named the area "Banyumas".
The capital of the Kejawar territory was in Banyumas. After the flood of 1861, the capital was moved to Purwokerto, which was located about 18 km further north.
Transport
Air
Purwokero's nearest airport is the Tunggul Wulung airport in Cilacap township, approximately 40 km south of Purwokerto. Tunggul Wulung has direct flights (three times per week) from Halim Perdana Kusuma airport in Jakarta. The travel time from Jakarta to Cilacap is 45 minutes.
Train
Train is one of the main modes of transport to Purwokerto. All classes of ticket, from economy to first class, are available for trips on trains from Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta and Surabaya. The total journey from Jakarta is 6 hrs (first class) and 10 hrs (economy class).
Road
Intercity buses connect Purwokerto to other cities on the island. The Purwokerto bus terminal is the third largest terminal in Central Java province after Terboyo (Semarang) and Tirtonadi (Surakarta).
Places of interest
Alun-alun
Purwokerto's central public square, Indonesian: Alun-alun, has six banyan trees: a tree at each corner, and two in the center. The townsfolk often spend their leisure time in the shady square and it is a common place for children to play. Vendors in the square sell children's toys and local foods. On one side is the regional government building, Kabupaten. On the west side of the square is the Masjid Baitus Salam Mosque of Purwokerto. To the east is the old cemetery on Ragasemangsang Road.
Bank BRI Museum
Located in the city center, Bank BRI Museum was built and dedicated for the Bank BRI's founder, R.A. Wiriatmadja. Formerly named as De Purwakertosche Hulp-en Spaar Bank der Inlandsche Bestuur Ambtenaren in 1895, now Bank BRI is one of the largest bank in the nation, as well as the oldest in the nation. Displays a lot of collections of coin and money from the VOC era until present time.
Baturaden
Baturaden, located 15 km north of Purwokerto is an area of typical highland country at the foot of the Gunung Slamet volcano. It is a popular site for local tourism, with a children's playground, hot springs, trekking and camping. There are two natural hot springs at Baturaden, namely Pancuran Telu and Pancuran Pitu. The campground is called Wana Wisata.[2] Some hotels, villas and budget hotels are available in Baturaden.
Food
The Purwokerto local food includes mendoan (fermented soy bean covered in wheat flour dough and deep fried), ranjem, nopia and mino (small nopia), tempeh keripik and many different kinds of chips. Gethuk goreng, made of cassava and Javanese sugar is also available. It is sold by various shops under various names. Also, in the morning, one may find a serabi seller on almost every corner of town. One Purwokerto delicacy is soto. It is also made in the nearby town of Sokaraja. Purwokerto soto is made from chicken while that from Sokaraja contains beef. Both are different from other sotos in Indonesia, because they are mixed with a spicy nut sambal. The most famous soto sokaraja seller in Sokaraja is "Soto Kecik", near the Buddha's monastery.
Medical facilities
Purwokerto is a centre for medical care for the southern part of the Central Java Province. There are both public and private hospitals for both general and specialist care. They include:
- RSU Margono Soekarjo general hospital
- RS DKT hospital
- RSIA Santa Elisabeth hospital
- RS Islam hospital
- RSIA Hidayah hospital
- RSIA Bunda hospital
- RSIA Ananda hospital
- RS Geriatri hospital (gerontology)
- RS Orthopedi hospital (orthopaedics).
- Jenderal Soedirman University Dental Hospital
The main state run hospital is Margono Soekarjo general hospital which is located on the eastern edge of Purwokerto. Its name is commonly shortened to "RS Margono Soekarjo". It was named after the first surgeon in Indonesia. The surgeon was born in Purwokerto and his grave is found in Pesarean Kebutuh, Sokaraja Kulon.
Schools
Jenderal Soedirman University is the main university in Purwokerto. It is located on the town's northern outskirts.[3] There are many universities and academies in Purwokerto which serve the southern part of central Java. They include:
- Universitas Jenderal Soedirman (UNSOED)
- Universitas Muhammadiyah Purwokerto
- Universitas Wijaya kusuma
- Sekolah Tinggi Agama Islam Negeri Purwokerto
- Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Ekonomi Purwokerto
- Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Ekonomi Satria
- Sekolah Tinggi Manajemen Informatika & Komputer Widya Utama
- Sekolah Tinggi Teknik Wiworotomo
- Akademi Kebidanan YLPP
- Akademi Kesehatan Lingkungan
- Akademi Manajemen Informatika & Komputer
- Akademi Pariwisata “Eka Sakti”
- Akademi Perawat Muhammadiyah
- Politeknik Pratama
Notable People
- Christian Hadinata, badminton player
- Purnomo, runner
See also
References
- ↑ "2005 population estimates for cities in Indonesia". mongabay.com. Retrieved 2007-12-19.
- ↑ Baturraden Adventure Forest
- ↑ "Jenderal Soedirman University"
External links
Purwokerto travel guide from Wikivoyage
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