On either side of the Waringin Gung and Waringin Binatur in the narrow courtyard at the south side of Alun-Alun Lor there once were three big cannons. Two were placed beside the eastern Waringin Gung, and one next to the western Waringin Binatur. The cannons have now been moved to an area slightly further to the south, i.e. next to the Kori Wijil gate, behind Pagelaran, near the stairs leading to Sitihinggil. Each cannon has its own name and symbolism.
The easternmost cannon is called Kyahi Poncoworo. This name comes from the sound it used to make, and which is said to have been very loud, like the noise of five (jav.: ponco) normal cannon fired at once. The name also contains a chronogram referring to the Javanese year Aj 1567 (AD 1636): it was made during the reign of Sultan Agung (r. 1613-1645).
The other two cannons were made in Europe, and received their names from Paku Buwono VII (r. 1830-1858). The cannon in the center is called Kyahi Syuhbrasto; the one in the west is Kyahi Segoro Wono. Both names refer to the sadness felt by Paku Buwono VII as a result of his loss of power and authority over the ports and teak forests, which the Dutch demanded as compensation for their military support. Thus Syuhbrasto means 'lost, 'destroyed, while Segoro means ,sea', and Wono'forest'.
Still on the shady southern part of Alun-Alun Lor, and slightly to the west stands a remarkable, and rather big, tall monument. The top part consists of beautifully decorated and colourful stained glass. It is called Tugu Tomas Warso and commemorates 200 years of Karaton Surakarta. It was installed during the short reign of Paku Buwono XI (r. 1939-1945). Its unusual form has made people say that it has the shape of a bomb, a form the meaning of which was only understood during World War 11 and the Japanese occupation (1942-1945), when the city of Solo was bombed.
Near the Tomas Warso monument is a small traditional Javanese building with an open limasan roof, Bangsal Pemandengan. Here the Pandengan horse, the ruler's personal mount, was stabled. The eastern part of the structure was used to store royal symbols, while the western part was used to store military equipment.
On either side of Bangsal Pamandengan are another two open buildings with open limasan roofs and round pillars, Bangsal Paretan. These were used when the royal carriages needed to be prepared when the ruler was to go out. While the eastern structure was for the royal carriage, the western one was for that of K.G.P.A. Anom, the Crown Prince.
In the past, north of the Bangsal Paretan was a hitching post for elephants, or Wantilan, made of a large round piece of teak. The wantilan was used to tie up the elephants that took part in the festive procession for the Garebeg celebrations, held three times a year. It was customary to decorate two elephants with red
saddles, while their faces were adorned with bright colours, in order to resemble the figures of the elephants used in performances of wayang kulit, the shadow puppet theatre. The elephants represented the overwhelming might and impressive power of the ruler.
Other animals too were kept in this area, like tigers (in the southeast corner of Alun-Alun). The tigers symbolized both the power of royal authority and man's ultimate control over nature's wild, untarnable aspect.
In the northeast corner of Alun-Alun Lorthere is one more structure worth mentioning, Bangsal Patalon. In the past the so-called gamelan Kyahi Singokrungu was played here every Saturday afternoon, as accompaniment for the watangan (spear) martial exercises. The watangan itself, involving mounted spearmen, was held some distance away, just south of the Ringin Kurung Sakembaran (the twin waringin trees) at the center of the Alun-Alun.
