Surakarta royal wedding still attracts huge crowds

By Tarko Sudiarno

SURAKARTA, Central Java (JP): A large crowd filled the spacious courtyard of the Surakarta palace. They had been there for hours, braving the drizzle, waiting to watch the royal wedding procession.

It was five p.m. and the sound of a bell was heard five times. The people were delighted. They would soon see the handsome bridegroom, GPH Dipokusumo, the son of the Surakarta "king", Susuhunan Paku Buwono XII, and the beautiful bride, Roro Febri Haryu Apsari. But it was not until an hour and a half later that the show began.

First, there were court soldiers marching in the courtyard. And then the bride appeared. She got into the royal carriage, pulled by four horses. Behind her was the groom on a horse, with guards holding royal umbrellas.

The sun had set and it was dim. Under the light of the torches and kerosene lamps, the procession went on. Slowly, they moved out of the palace, passing the Baluwarti fort, witnessed by thousands of people.

Susuhunan Paku Buwono XII is no longer in power and the palace has become only a symbol of past sovereignty. Yet any event held by the royal family still attracts a huge crowd. There are also hundreds of people who are willing to dedicate themselves as court servants.

The wedding ceremonies had started three days earlier on Thursday, March 23 in strong Javanese tradition. They also performed some rare rituals such as the Bukak Kawah. This is a kind of thanksgiving held by a family who is giving their children in marriage for the first time. The bride was the first in the family to get married. In this specific ritual, the family presented a buffalo to be slaughtered, but before it was, the bride's father had to ride it.

The ceremonies climaxed with the procession that took place on Sunday, followed by a reception later in the evening.