'Kirab Pusaka' festival returns to Solo after two-year hiatus

From Vikneswaran Raman

SOLO (Indonesia), July 30 (Bernama) -- The celebration of the Javanese community’s traditional event ‘Kirab Pusaka’ in conjunction with the beginning of the first month of the Javanese New Year, was held in this city in the presence of tens of thousands of people.

Kirab Pusaka is a series of routine community events here that include the ‘Kebo Bule’ parade to celebrate the first day of Muharram, the first month in the Islamic calendar or 1 Suro.

Kirab Pusaka or an organised mass procession, is being held again after being postponed for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The celebration began with a parade that started at midnight (1 am Malaysian time) after several ritual ceremonies were performed at Keraton (palace) Surakarta.

The approximately 6-km long procession is led by four Kebo Bule or buffaloes with white and reddish skin that belong to the palace and are the palace’s favourite pets.

Hundreds of royal family members and palace officials marched by holding spears and torches around the city of Surakarta witnessed by thousands of people including from Surabaya.

This event is a cultural tradition in Surakarta, Central Java or better known as Solo, which is also the birthplace of Indonesian President Joko Widodo.

Solo is hosting the 11th ASEAN Para Games (APG) beginning today until Aug 6. The opening ceremony is scheduled for 7 pm tonight.

-- BERNAMA