Who doesn't know Monas? Jakarta is identical with this 132 meter tower. Every weekend and national holiday Monas is always crowded with tourists. Besides see the beauty of the monument with a golden torch on it, do you know that Monas also keeps several hero statues in the garden area? From the 4 sides of the National Monument, there are five hero statues in the Monas park that you might not know.
1. Moh. Husni Thamrin Statue
On the west side of Monas, facing Jalan Medan Merdeka Barat, there is a Mohammad Husni Thamrin statue or commonly known as MH Thamrin. Mohammad Husni Thamrin was born in Jakarta (formerly Batavia) on February 16, 1894. He was a politician in the era of the Dutch East Indies. MH Thamrin was known as the first Betawi figure who became a Volksraad (People's Council) member in the Dutch East Indies, representing indigenous groups.
Photo Source: Alinear doc.
2. Pangeran Diponegoro Statue
The size of Pangeran Diponegoro's statue is bigger than other hero statues at Monas. The prince is depicted being on a horse while pointing forward and with his face expresses high fighting spirit. With Monas as the background, make the view looking more dramatic. It is not hard to find this statue because it is on the north side of the National Monument, facing the Merdeka Palace.
3. Chairil Anwar Statue
On the same side, there is also a Chairil Anwar statue. behind the head statue of Chairil Anwar there is also a garden with a pond in the middle. This statue stands on a marble plaque. There is an inscription from the most famous of his poetry, Karawang Bekasi. Aside, about two meters from the head statue there is also a placard explaining about him.
4. RA Kartini Statue
Photo Source: Alinear doc.
You can find RA Kartini statue in the east side of Monas overlooking Gambir. Here, there are three statues where the largest statue and in the middle is the statue of RA Kartini. Meanwhile, the other two smaller statues are statues of women who is breastfeeding her kid and the other one is dancing. RA Kartini is known as a figure of women emancipation, where Indonesian women were often underestimated.
This statue is also a symbol of friendship between Indonesia and Japan, because it was a gift from Japan government. Under the statue there is an explanation in Bahasa Indonesia and Japanese.
5. Ikada Statue
This statue is not a statue of a hero, but a statue that describes a historical event. Where Ikada itself is a court that was became a silent witness to the struggle of Indonesian youth at the large meeting on September 19, 1945.
Photo Source: Alinear doc.
At that time, they gathered at Ikada Square to hear Bung Karno's speech. The meeting continued, even though there were fully armed Japanese soldiers. Ikada Court is now the National Monument where Monas tower stands. You can find Ikada statue on the south side of Monas.