Traditional Tumplak Wajik Ceremony at Yogyakarta Palace Marks the Beginning of Gerebeg Syawal 1447 H Preparations

The Yogyakarta Palace held the traditional Tumplak Wajik ceremony at the Palace Complex on Tuesday, 17 March 2026, formally marking the start of preparations for the Gerebeg Syawal 1447 H celebration. Palace retainers distributed boreh (traditional herbal paste) to residents as part of the ceremonial proceedings. Princess Mangkubumi, the Yogyakarta Palace princess, participated in the traditional adat ceremony alongside palace officials and abdi dalem (palace servants). The ritual involved prayers and blessings conducted within the Palace Complex. The Tumplak Wajik ceremony is a long-standing tradition that officially signals the beginning of construction and preparations for the towering gunungan (ceremonial pyramid structures) that form the centrepiece of the Gerebeg Syawal festival. Gerebeg Syawal is an important annual Islamic cultural observance held at the Yogyakarta Palace, traditionally celebrated in the month of Shawwal following Ramadan, and features elaborate ceremonial processions and the distribution of blessed rice pyramids to the public.