Solo to host the first Royal Palace Festival next month
Solo to host the first Royal Palace Festival next month
JAKARTA (JP): Make a date for a rare gathering of kings,
queens, princes and princesses with their troupe of guards and
dancers from Indonesia's remaining few royal palaces, next month
in Surakarta, Central Java.
Surakarta, popularly known as Solo, will host the first
Indonesian Royal Palace Festival on July 1-7.
The festival serves as a reminder that the republic, which
celebrates its 50th Independence anniversary this year, still has
a few remaining royal palaces, regarded as the guardians of the
nation's heritage, traditions and cultures.
The organizers said 15 sultanates and kingdoms will take part
in this event, an expansion of the annual Royal Palace Festival
which limits participation to royal palaces in Java.
The 15 palaces taking part in the royal gala are: Keraton
Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat and Puro Paku Alaman of Yogyakarta,
Keraton Kasunanan Sukukarto Hadiningrat and Pura Mangkunegaran of
Central Java, Keraton Kasepuhan, Keraton Kanoman and Keraton
Kacirebonan of West Java, Kasultanan Sumenep of East Java, Istana
Kadariah, Istana Alwagtubillah and Istana Amantubillah of West
Kalimantan, Kerajaan Gowa of South Sulawesi, Kerajaan Buton of
South East Sulawesi, Kasultanan Bima of West Nusa Tenggara, and
the Memorial Museum of Kesultanan Ternate of Maluku.
Pura Agung Ubud of Bali will send its representatives as well
as observers and a delegation from Jakarta will also take part in
the festival's folk culture performances.
The festival is organized by the Directorate General of
Tourism of the Ministry of Tourism, Post and Telecommunication.
It will feature various activities including a procession of
royal palace soldiers or Kirab Prajurit Keraton, dances,
traditional ceremonies, parades of traditional apparel of the
various palaces, an exhibition of articles from the palaces and
folklore parties.
There will also be supporting events such as Dalang (Javanese
puppet show animator) Festival, handicraft exhibition and Dakon
(a traditional children's game) championship.
"We hope the festival will draw not only foreign tourists but
also domestic ones because it can help us understand more about
our own cultures," Andi Mappi Sammeng, Director General of
Tourism, said in a press conference on Monday.
As part of the festival, and fund raising campaign, the
organizers are holding the Indonesian Royal Palaces' Traditional
Wedding Garbs show at the Shangri-La Hotel in Jakarta on June 21.
This event will be held in cooperation with PT Mustika Ratu, a
herbal cosmetic and medicine company. PT Arjuna Impresindo
Perkasa has been appointed as the promoter of the festival,
Mappi Sammeng said. (als)