Doing the honors at the Ngabekten ceremony in Yogyakarta
Doing the honors at the Ngabekten ceremony in Yogyakarta
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Pomp and circumstance are still important to
the people of Yogyakarta when it comes to matters of their
sultan.
Once a year, in the Syawal month following the Ramadhan
fasting month on the Islamic calendar, Yogyakartans have a chance
to perform the Ngabekten honorific ceremony at the palace, a
tradition dating back to ancient times. On the first or second
day of the month, which are also the first days of the Idul Fitri
celebration, they come to the palace to pay a courtesy call on
the sultan.
This year the ceremony was held on the third day of Syawal
because the ceremony was based on the Sultan Agung Javanese
calendar. According to the calendar, the Ramadhan month consists
of 30 days instead of the 29-day Islamic calendar.
As well as Sultan Hamenkubuwono, at the ceremony were Ratu
Hemas, who is the sultan's wife, the royal princesses, relatives,
palace servants, government officials and commoners.
The ceremony held on the first day of Syawal is exclusively
for men and held at Kagungan Dalem Bangsal Kencana. The ceremony
is closed to outsiders and usually performed by princes, the
sultan's male relatives, grandsons of sultans Hamengkubuwono IX
and Hamengkubuwono VII and the local regent and mayor.
The ceremony on the second day is for women and open to
outsiders, including the media. It is hell in the hall called
Kagungan Dalem Emper Bangsal Prabayeksa.
Strict rules established over time must be followed by all,
including the queen.
Everyone must laku dhodhok (walk on their haunches) to reach
the sultan's throne. They must then bring their hands together in
front of their chests to honor the sultan, before kissing his
right knee.
This year the ceremony was particularly special because it
included the sultan's older sister and even his grandmother, KRAy
Retno Wilanten HB VIII. But there are some exceptions made in the
rules for his older sister and his grandmother; they do not need
to kiss his knees, but shake hands instead.
The hierarchy and status of people within the palace was shown
by the location of their seating and their outfits. The left side
of the front row was reserved for the sultan, the queen and KRAy
Retno Wilanten. The second row was occupied by the sultan's
unmarried daughters, the princesses Nurmalitasari, Nurkamnari
Dewi, Nurabra Juwita and Nurastuti Wijareni.
Queen Hemas and the sultan's sisters wore seredan (a batik
garment with a short train) and the others wore what is known as
wiron engkol. (Tiwi and Erry)