'Gerebeg Besar,' a rite rich in religious meaning

By Kartika Bagus C.

SURAKARTA, Central Java (JP): Since time immemorial, the Javanese have been renowned for their rich variety of customs and traditional ceremonies, which are mostly the acculturation of indigenous and external cultures.

An example is the leather puppet shadow play, which is a blending of ancient Javanese tradition and the Islamic culture which arrived later and was propagated by Sunan Kalijaga.

Another example of this acculturation is Gerebeg Besar, a traditional religious festival taking place in a major month on the Javanese calendar, or in the month of Zulhijjah on the Islamic Hijriah calendar. They are closely linked to Idul Adha (the Islamic Day of Sacrifice), which fell this year on March 6.

Gerebeg refers to a festive occasion for the masses, in which commoners have a chance to see their sultan, who performs a rite outside the confines of the palace.

A public affairs officer of Surakarta's Hadiningrat Palace, KTR Kalinggo Honggopuro, said Gerebeg Besar was an acculturation of Islam and the Javanese tradition, which has its origin in Hinduism. Hadiningrat is one of the palaces in the country where the traditional Gerebeg Besar is still observed and preserved as both an Islamic rite of Idul Adha and a Javanese traditional custom.

An annual event, Gerebeg Besar is usually observed with a pair of giant rice cones, usually called gunungan (literally "like mountains") and served to preserve safety. Symbolizing fertility the cones are called Gunungan Jaler (male) and Gunungan Estri (female).

Gunungan Jaler consists of cone-shaped rice and side dishes, a symbol of crops, while the other gunungan is made up of uniquely Javanese snacks, known as baladan in Javanese, such as rangginan, (a kind of snack made of glutinous rice), bread in the shape of an elephant's ear, emping crackers, chips made of pounded rice grains toasted and served with palm sugar.

Although Gerebeg Besar is held on Idul Adha, it does not necessarily entail the slaughtering of cattle for the sacrifice. For each royal family, the cattle slaughtering is conducted separately from the rite.

Kalinggo said the festival is the same as other Gerebeg ceremonies, like Gerebeg Pasa, which marks the Muslim fasting month, and Gerebeg Mulud, in which the birth of Prophet Muhammad is commemorated. These two other gerebeg also express gratitude to God for safety and soil fertility. The three kinds of gerebeg are identical in terms of their ritual procession.

After extensive preparation the gunungan will be placed in the courtyard of the palace. Before it is taken to the Grand Mosque, a rite is conducted by an administrative official of Surakarta Palace. In this rite, only the code of conduct of the palace prevails. As everything is in Javanese, the resulting atmosphere is laden with mystical and ritualistic elements.

The two cones are then escorted in a parade led by palace guards of various ranks. Following the soldiers are the royal family, courtiers and officials, The last in line are high- ranking courtiers who are assigned to carry the gunungan. The procession moves in a military-like manner, accompanied by the sound of the drums and flutes, lending great festivity to the atmosphere. Locals flock to the roadside to witness the procession.

The entire procession moves to the Grand Mosque of Surakarta, to the west of the yard of the palace, a distance of about 500 meters. Upon arrival at the mosque, the palace ulema will read a prayer for the offerings as a token to safeguard the ruler of Surakarta and the entire nation.

At the peak of the rite, the cones are carried to the courtyard of the mosque and it is here that the audience will vie with one another for a piece of the rice cones. "The people hope to get a piece of the cones as a symbol of blessings as the materials to make the cones all came from the sultan," Kalinggo said.

The ceremony's symbols are highly religious. According to Kalinggo, the cone shape of the rice, the top being sharply- pointed, signifies God the creator of the universe.

Vegetables signify this mortal world and all human needs. The message is that apart from fulfilling his daily needs, man must always be aware of the existence of God.

The ceremony is one of many Javanese traditional events that have become institutionalized, an occasion closely linked to the Islamic culture in Java. The palace is continuing the traditional practices of earlier Islamic kingdoms in Java, like Demak, Pajang and Mataram.