Museum Wayang the centre of Jakarta Barat is a spectacular place to witness the collections of leather (usually buffalo hide) puppets, used in traditional Wayang Théâtre. Indeed if you want to see both a shadow theatre, as well as the diversity of puppets from tbe various islands, this is the place. Indeed in that sense it's not a 'traditional' ceremony you will witness, but as a tourist to get a first impression it should suffice. What excited me most was the life sized puppet of Ghatotkach घटोत्कच whom the museum assistant referred to as Indonesian Superman! The son of the mythical Bhim भीम and rakshasi Hidimba हिडिंबा from the Mahabharata, he is endowed with a special place in Wayang. More on this in the coming months.
