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)