Sawah Besar

Have you heard of the ‘big paddy field’? That’s the literal meaning of Sawah Besar, this vibrant district in Central Jakarta. Sawah Besar wasn’t always a bustling urban center. Imagine, before the 1860s, a vast paddy field dominated this landscape, measuring roughly 450 square meters. This field held a unique distinction. It was the only remaining paddy field in Batavia’s city center. The field lay east of what is now Jalan Hayam Wuruk, south of Kebon Jeruk (meaning “orange orchard”), and west of a sprawling Chinese cemetery, now Kelurahan Karang Anyar. Over time, urbanization crept in. The once expansive field transformed into Kampung Sawah Besar by the late 19th century. The name “Sawah Besar” extended beyond the field itself. It also designated a street south of the former paddy, a street that played a crucial role in Weltevreden’s defense. Weltevreden, Batavia’s new southern administrative hub, relied on Sawah Besar Street as part of its northern defensive line. Later, a railway stop appeared at the street’s eastern end, also taking the name Sawah Besar, eventually evolving into Sawah Besar railway station. While the street itself was renamed Jalan Sukarjo Wiryopranoto in the 1950s, the station retains its original moniker. Following Indonesia’s independence, “Sawah Besar” became the name of the entire district. Interestingly, the original Sawah Besar street and paddy field were slightly west of the current station, marking today’s western boundary. Sawah Besar also intertwines with the story of the Ciliwung River. In the 17th century, the district overlapped with the river’s flow. The area, outside Batavia’s city walls, was then considered ‘ommelanden’, the surrounding lands. To secure their colonial holdings, the Dutch East India Company constructed fortresses along the Ciliwung, including the Jacarta sconce in the mid-17th century. This fort, intended to protect the river upstream from Batavia Castle, vanished by 1825. Its former location is now the kampung of Gang Budi Rahayu. The Ciliwung’s banks here were originally unproductive marshland. To cultivate the area, canals were built to drain the marshes. By the late 17th century, the marshland had transformed into mills, sugar plantations, orchards, and paddy fields. Sawah Besar, a name rooted in a simple paddy field, reflects the district’s fascinating journey from marshland to military stronghold to the vibrant district you see today.