Kori Brojonolo Lor

Kori Brojonolo's western guard room and view of the western part of the Supit urang road that encircles the whole Pagelaran, Sitihinggil, and northern Alun-alun area.

Kori Brojonolo Lor is the name of the main entrance gate to the karaton area. It is a most impressive, large gate, with a so-called Semar tinandu roof style and sometimes this gate is referred to as Kori Gapit, after the chronogram found here which consists of the words'lawang gapit dalan wong. The expression forms the numbers 9 - 2 - 5 - 1, which stand for Aj 1529 / AD 1598, This year refers to the reign of Panembahan Senopati (r.1575-1601), Mataram's first independent ruler.

 On the ceiling of Kori Brojonolo originally there used to be a cowhide. Now there is an inscription 'PB X' (Paku Buwono X, r. 1893-1939). It yields another chronogram from the period of Paku Buwono III (r. 1749-1788). This chronogram consists of the words Mang, pointing to the number 8; Rang, or 0; sapi, or 7; and siji, 1, combining the numbers 8 - 0 - 7 - I or Aj 1708 / AD 1777.

The name'Brojonolo'comes from brojo,'sharp weapon', and nolo, 'heart'. It symbolizes that anyone wanting to achieve the stage of final perfection must have a sharp moral sense based on awareness of oneself, and the only weapon one has is one's heart, one's feelings. It really means that anyone who passes here should rely on one's deepest feelings as a basis for one's proper behaviour.

East of Kori Brojonolo is a raised platform with a large bell, Jam Panggung ('platform bell'). In former days the bell was rung every hour on the hour. South of Kori Brojonolo, across the square known as Kamandungan stands an impressive pair of awe-inspiring, fearsome statues, holding large weapons. These are said to portray the mythical giants, Cingkorobolo and Bolouputo, believed to guard the gate to Heaven, Suroloyo. This is the place where one should no longer mandeg tumoleh, or'hesitate, stop, and look back'. The statues are very similar to but much bigger, than those in front of the entrance to Alun-Alun Lor, at Gladhag