Omah Cagak Wolu: The Rural Javanese House Architecture in the Cetho Temple Area of Lawu Mountain, Indonesia

Abstract

The architecture of Javanese houses in the Cetho Temple area is a variant of Javanese rural house architecture that has its uniqueness. Cetho Temple is one of the relics of Hinduism during the end of the Majapahit Empire. The climatic conditions of Mount Lawu and the spatial interaction with the Cetho Temple complex affect the concept of thinking and building Javanese houses and their settlement. The adaptation and adjustment processes that take place from generation to generation produce a typology of rural Javanese houses with local characteristics. This study aims to provide an understanding of the architectural characteristics of rural Javanese houses with a Hindu Javanese cultural background in the Cetho Temple area. The research location is in Cetho Hamlet, Gumeng Village, Jenawi District, Karanganyar Regency. The method of selecting the Javanese house research sample was carried out purposively by considering the typology and age of the house to represent the original character of the settlement. The results of the study found that the Javanese rural house in Cetho Hamlet has the characteristics of eight saka (poles). The Cetho people call it Omah Cagak Wolu. Omah Cagak Wolu is one of the typology variants of Javanese houses that are known around the slopes of Mount Lawu. Omah Cagak Wolu shows the interwoven space and function of a rural Javanese house in the Cetho Temple area. The typology of the Omah Cagak Wolu is a response to the mindset of rural Javanese people who are Hindu and the natural conditions on the slopes of Mount Lawu.