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Unesa.ac.id, SURABAYA—A number of interdisciplinary experts from various countries; Germany, Malaysia and Singapore attended the 2023 Panji International Seminar and Workshop at the Auditorium, Faculty of Medicine (FK) Building, Surabaya State University (UNESA) on Wednesday, 18 October 2023. This activity was entitled 'Panji Stories: Cultural Resilience in Traveling Across Time'.
The agenda, which is part of the ASEAN Panji Festival, is organized by the Ministry of Education and Culture in synergy with the East Java Provincial Government and the UNESA Faculty of Languages and Arts (FBS). This is a form of joint commitment to continue to educate the original Indonesian stories included in UNESCO's Memory of the World (MoW) to the world and generations of the Indonesian people.
The experts present were; Dr. Lydia Kieven, Archaeologist from the University of Bonn, Germany; Prof. Noriah Mohamad from Universiti Sains Malaysia; Dr. Soo Pong Chua from Artistic Adviser of the Singapore Chinese Dance Theatre; Prof. Dr. Ing Wardiman Djojonegoro, Minister of Education and Culture for the 1993-1998 period; Dr. Setyo Yanuartuti, M.Si., from UNESA; and Dr. Karsono H. Saputra from the University of Indonesia.
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Wardiman Djojonegoro on that occasion highlighted the story of Panji which is more popular outside of Thailand, for example, than in Indonesian society itself. Therefore, according to him, the Panji story must continue to be passed down according to developments in the context and era.
"In the past it was told from generation to generation. Well, now Panji's story must reach new media such as television, film, social media so that our children and grandchildren know and understand this original Indonesian story. If we don't tell Panji to "They (generation: ed) are in line with their times, I'm worried about the future of our nation's culture," he said.
The importance of Panji's story being conveyed to the younger generation of the Indonesian nation, apart from being related to the resilience of the nation's culture, is also inseparable from the values contained in it. Archaeologist from Germany, Lydia, who has been researching Panji in Indonesia for a long time, revealed a number of her findings.
One of them is related to the symbols of harmony and peace in several past relics related to Panji. The Panji story, continued Lydia, can be found in temple reliefs around East Java, such as Kendalisodo Temple in Penanggungan, which tells stories of heroism, love, separation, adventure and reunification.
Apart from that, he continued, the Panji story is also found in the reliefs of Mirigambar Temple in Tulungagung, Yudha Temple on the slopes of Penanggungan, and especially Penataran Temple in Blitar Regency. Figures wearing hats, holding lotuses, or boats are characteristic features in some of these reliefs.
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"In Penataran Temple, the figure of Panji is depicted wearing simple clothes. Panji and Candra Kirana are sitting on a rough stone. Simplicity is a noble value. In this there is a fascinating historical and cultural value," explained Lydia while showing the relief of Panji in front of the participants.
Meanwhile, Setyo Yanuartuti highlighted the importance of strategy and innovation in grounding the Panji story so that it becomes an idol for the younger generation. According to him, this can be done in various ways, such as bringing the Panji story closer to the audience. children's daily lives.
"The items closest to young people today are gadgets or social media. Anything now is via a gadget. So, we have to think about how Panji's stories and values are easily accessible to today's children. "We need innovation in that direction," said the Sendratasik lecturer, FBS.
For your information, this activity was attended by hundreds of participants from students, students and lecturers, both offline and online. On that occasion, FBS UNESA expressed its commitment to continue to revive and bring the Panji story closer to society and the younger generation. One of the things that will be done is establishing the Panji Study Center. []
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Reporter Team: Muhammad Azhar Adi Mas'ud/ Nabila Habibah Al-Cholis
Editor: @zam Alasiah*
Photo: Public Relations Team Documentation
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