Tens of Thousands to Attend Tawur Agung at Prambanan Temple Ahead of Nyepi

Approximately 30,000 people are expected to gather at Prambanan Temple on Wednesday, March 18th, for the 2026 National Tawur Agung Kesanga ceremony, held the day before Nyepi Day. The event, which includes a cultural parade featuring local creations, aims to promote Central Java’s culture and strengthen its image as an inclusive and culturally rich province.

The main event will be held at the Wisnu Mandala courtyard, located on the border of Klaten (Central Java) and Sleman (DIY). The ceremony will also feature a cultural parade with around six ‘ogoh-ogoh’ creations by young people from Central Java.

The organizers believe that holding the event at Prambanan is strategically important, as it is both historically and spiritually significant, and its location on the border between DIY and Central Java can help to expand the economic and tourism impact.

The event is not intended to imitate Bali, but rather to showcase the unique identity of Central Java. The ‘gunungan’, a symbol of Javanese tradition, will be featured in the ceremony, and the Javanese value of ‘wilujengan’ will be an important part of the procession.

The theme of this year’s Nyepi celebration is ‘Vasudaiva Kutumbakam: One Earth, One Family’, which emphasizes the values of universal brotherhood, tolerance, and shared responsibility for protecting the earth.

The Governor of Central Java, Ahmad Luthfi, has expressed his full support for the event. He says that the government’s support will not only be in the form of technical assistance, but will also include four key areas: the sacredness of the ritual, the order of the event, the safety of the participants, and the preservation of the cultural heritage site.

He hopes that the event will help to strengthen Central Java’s image as an inclusive and culturally rich province.