Surakarta royal wedding still attracts huge crowds

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.