Palace festival mascot unveiled

Palace festival mascot unveiled

YOGYAKARTA: Sultan Hamengkubuwono X officially unveiled on Wednesday evening the mascot for the Festival Kraton Nusantara IV. The mascot is a manggoloyudo (royal warlord) riding a horse and holding a weapon in his right hand.

Speaking during the unveiling, the Sultan, who is also the governor of Yogyakarta, said the festival, which will be held from Sep. 19 to Sep. 23 at the Yogyakarta Palace, was part of efforts to conserve traditional culture.

Yogyakarta Palace was chosen as the festival's venue, he said, because of its historical status as the center of development of local culture.

The chairman of the festival's organizing committee, GBPH Hadiwinoto, said the mascot was meant as a description and a challenge to the country's palaces.

The palaces, he said, should be optimistic in facing future developments and should model themselves on war commanders of the past.

"In the future, the palaces have to be able to integrate themselves with the people and the changes going on around them. It is not the time to glorify the greatness of the past," Hadiwinoto said, adding that over 30 palaces throughout the country were expected to take part in the festival. --JP