Puser Widya Nusantara Jawa (Pudyaraja)

It is an educational Institute to preserve & develop Javanese culture.
(Puser means center, Widya = education, Nusantara = Indonesia)
The padepokan (original traditional javanese cultural schooling) is in the mansion of Prof. Dr. R.M Ki. Wisnoe Wardhana, 2 km south of Yogyakarta Royal Palace, the exact address is : Suryodiningratan , MJ II/837 Yogyakarta -55141 Phone 0274-372363.
The name of the street / village is to commemorate, the name of Prof. Wardhana's Father, G.B.P.H Suryodiningrat, a Yogyanese Prince, a son of the late King Hamangkubuwono VII, the Prince himself was a noted fighter against Dutch colonialists had dedicated his life preserving Javanese culture.

The Pudyaraja stands firmly on the 4000 square meter plot of land, it is a Javanese style mansion. The pendopo / hall is resplendent with carvings of sun symbols, gamelan instruments, classic paintings, wooden sculptures & masks showing a high appreciation of deeply rooted ancestor's culture.

The tall & handsome 68 year old Professor of Yogyakarta teacher's Institute is very much concern that many Javanese no longer know Javanese culture. Pudyaraja, which has been founded 5 years ago should be a positive way-out, Prof. Wardhana who is himself a respected cultural expert, is determent to provide a study of Javanese culture at its root. For this noble work, he got a big support from his friends & colleagues, experts of various discipline having the same opinion to maintain the culture, some of them become gurus / lecturers in Pudyaraja campus.

The study consists of 9 semesters, twice a week, on Saturdays & Sundays. The Pudyaraja adopting Pancasila (the five principa's of state Ideology ) as its principle of life & Bhineka Tunggal Ika (unity in diversity ) brotherhood in human Relation, has 600 students who receive in depth study of :

• Reading & writing Javanese
• Javanese Politeness & customs : From the sample daily activities such as the proper ways to walk, sit & talk and the more complex such as preparing offerings with holy mantras (pattern of sacred words or sentences)
• The art of wayang shadow puppet, batik, gamelan, dance, sacred objects (among other study of Keris). It is a thorough study : introduction, the performance, the making etc.

The course graduates should be able to lead the traditional ceremonies, and act as independent agent for cultural conservation.
All subjects during the course are performed in Javanese : In the wayang study, the students should know the story of wayang, family tree, philosophy etc.
Another important things is the study of tourism related to the culture, as tourism at present and in the future is closely connected to culture.

Prof. Dr. RM. Ki Wisnoe Wardhana, who has received formal studies in the fields of art dance, educational psychology, cultural anthrophology & tourism and a born cultural lover as taught by his father & noble live surroundings is convinced that Javanese and Nusantara / Indonesian culture had been existed since the ancient time, the fossil of Homo Erectus Mojokertensis , the ancient human beings found in East Java dated back to 1,9 millions BC, is the oldest in the world.

According to H.J Snijders, a famous world expert of astronomy, the Javanese had known astronomy in the 17,.000 B.C, the fist in the world.

It there any cultural center elder than Java ?
The Javanese has to appreciate the culture belonged to them, to preserve their fertile & beautiful nature as a gift from God, the Creator of the Universe.

The word kraton (now means Royal Palace) from the word Rat, means nature, so the nature which had given birth to valuable culture.

An ancient Javanese Primbon (divining manual) said that one day Javanese people should remain a half, a half here does not mean half of the sum of the population but the Javanese only with a half heart embrace their own culture.