1531 INDONESIA (Jakarta) - National Monument in Jakarta

First of all, I must thank for this wonderful maxicard to Barbel Plinke, but also all those who signed on it. The maxicard was edited with the ocasion of a meet-up of the Indonesian postcrossers (which held in Jakarta on March 28, 2015), and depicts the National Monument, located in the centre of Merdeka Square, Central Jakarta (watercolor painting by Rihwan Satriyaji). This 132m high tower, topped by a flame covered with gold foil, symbolise the struggle for Indonesian independence. The monument, designed by Frederich Silaban and R.M. Soedarsono, consists of a 117.7m obelisk (clad with Italian marble) on a 45m square platform at a height of 17m, and was build between 1961 and 1975.

It encapsulates the philosophy of Lingga and Yoni. Lingga resembles an alu rice pestle and Yoni resembles a lesung rice mortar, two important traditional Indonesian tools. Lingga and Yoni also symbolize harmony, fertility and eternal life with the lingga phallic symbol, representing masculinity, positive elements, and daytime and the Yoni the female organs symbol, representing femininity, negative elements, and night. In the outer yard there are reliefs of Indonesian history, begining in the northeastern corner. A lift on the southern side carries visitors to the viewing platform at a height of 115 metres above ground level.

References
National Monument (Indonesia) - Wikipedia

Sender: Barbel Plinke and the Indonesian postcrossers who participated to the meet-up which held on Jakarta on March 28, 2015
Sent from Jakarta (Jakarta / Indonesia), on 28.03.2015
Watercolor painting by Rihwan Satriyaji