GREBEG

Grebeg is a ceremony to guard the important person like the King or Princess-Sri Sultan from Yogyakarta and Sri Sunan from Surakarta (Solo) go to Sitinggil and guarded with each warrior to give a certain adoration to the King of the King.

 Grebeg is hold 3 times in a year in Yogyakarta and Surakarta (solo) palace

Gerebeg Mulud Ceremony 

      Gerebeg Maulud is the climax of Sekaten. Held yearly on the 12th day of the 3rd month  of the Javanese calendar.

      The history of Grebeg Sekaten come from Wali Songo (sunan) especially Sunan Kali Jogo. It is one way to introduce Islam Religion to Indonesian people. In ancient time culture and art is very important. So Wali sogo made Grebeg Sekaten to showed to the people if just one God in this world. Allah SWT.

  Gerebeg Besar
Held yearly at the Sultan’s Palace on the 10th day of the last month of the Javanese calendar (Besar) to commenorate Abraham’s test of faith when challenged to sacrifice his one and only son 

Gerebeg Syawal Ceremon

      Held yearly on the 1st day of the 10th month of the Javanese calendar (Syawal) at the end of Ramadhan, (see schedule) the Muslim holy month of fasting

 

 At that time, The Palace usually make a Gunungan. Gunungan is composed of a series of vegetables, fruits and snacks are arranged in such a way or a cone-shaped mountain.

Gunungan is a King charity to his people. Therefore, people are always scrambling to get a part of the mountains which is believed to have good luck.

SEKATEN CEREMONY

Yogyakarta, there were ceremonies called Sekaten or better known as Pasar Malam Perayaan Sekaten because before the ceremony was held the night market activity in advance for one full month.

 

Sekaten or ceremony Sekaten (derived from the word Syahadatein) is the anniversary of Prophet Muhammad held on the 5th of each month Mulud Java (early Rabi 'al-Hijra) in the square of Yogyakarta (and also in the square at the same Surakarta). This ceremony was once used by the Sultan Hamengkubuwono I, founder of the palace of Yogyakarta to invite the public to follow and embrace Islam.

On the first day, the ceremony begins at night with courtiers (yogyakarta palace trust people) together with two sets of Javanese Gamelan: Kyai Kyai Nogowilogo and Gunturmadu. 

 

This procession starts from the hall of the Great Mosque Ponconiti towards the north of the square, escorted by soldiers of the Palace. Kyai Nogowilogo will occupy the north side of the Grand Mosque, while Kyai Gunturmadu Pagongan will be in the south of the mosque. Both sets of gamelan to be played simultaneously until the date 11 months Mulud for 7 consecutive days. On the last night, the gamelan will be brought back into the Kingdom.

SAPARAN BEKAKAK

Saparan Bekakak is a Traditional ceremony held by people of Gamping, Sleman. This ceremony have been practiced since the era of Sultan Hamengku Buwono I and held as a pray to God, to get freedom from disaster and illnes by slaughtering a couple of Bekakak (Bride Doll) which is made of sticky rice and javanese sugar.

slaughtering bride doll

This tradition is as old as the Yogyakarta Hadiningrat Royal Palace and it started with the story of a married couple who died in Mount Gamping.

Saparan Bekakak is usually performed in Ambar Ketawang Subdistrict, Gamping District, Sleman Regency, Yogyakarta. The slaughtering ceremony of Bekakak couple is held in Mount Gamping, approximately kilometers from the Ambar Ketawang village square.

MBAH MARIDJAN

Mas Penewu Surakso Hargo, better known as Mbah Maridjan ("Grandfather Maridjan") (5 February 1927– 26 October 2010) was the spiritual guardian or "gatekeeper" of the Indonesian volcano Mount Merapi. His birthplace was in the mountainside hamlet (Indonesian language-dukuh) of Kinahrejo, Umbulharjo Village, Cangkringan District, of the Sleman , on the island of Java in Indonesia

Mbah Maridjan

He was killed at the age of 83 by a pyroclastic flow that destroyed his home in the village of Kinahrejo during the 2010 eruption of Mount Merapi

Maridjan was the son of the previous guardian, Mbah Hargo. He was appointed to the palace staff of the Sultan of Yogyakarta, Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX, in 1970 and was given the title of Raden Ngabehi Surokso Hargo. He replaced his father as guardian in 1982.

   

The spiritual guardian of the mountain is believed by local people to have the power to speak to the spirits of Mount Merapi, which the Javanese consider to be a sacred mountain. Maridjan led ceremonies to appease the spirits of the volcano by presenting them with offerings of rice and flowers in and around the crater. One of his most important duties was the performance of the annual Labuhan sacrificial ceremony dedicated to the spirits of Mount Merapi. A procession from the royal palace on Yogjakarta led by the guardian sacrifices to the volcano spirits a set of ritual offerings including textiles, perfume, incense, money and, every eight years, a horse saddle. He described his job, for which he was paid $1 a month, as being "to stop lava from flowing down. Let the volcano breathe, but not cough.

Mbah Maridjan, led the Labuan ceremony on the slopes of Merapi

Maridjan was known for his dedication and loyalty to the king and became an Indonesian icon. He lived only about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the peak in his home village of Kinahrejo. Many villagers believed that he would be warned in a vision if an eruption was imminent. In May 2006, he refused to leave his village despite a mandatory evacuation order after scientists warned of an imminent eruption. He went with fifty other men to the village mosque when the volcano began to erupt. Following his example, a hundred other families also refused to evacuate. He was badly burned in a subsequent blast and spent five months in hospital after being rescued from his collapsed house. He became a popular hero because of his refusal to leave his village and his insistence that it was his duty to discharge his responsibility for the welfare of the people. He said that "the people of Kinahrejo feel that it was their destiny to be born to be a fortress to protect the welfare of the kraton (royal palace) and the people of Mataram (central Java)." During an interview in 2006, he said, "Everybody has their duty. Reporter, soldier, police, they have their duty. I also have a duty to stand here".

LABUHAN ALIT MERAPI

Mount Merapi is not only a mountain, but also a sacred symbol in Jogjakarta mystic. It connected with Islam Mataram on Java. As part of the natural balance, Mount Merapi is located in the balance sheet with Parangtritis Beach in the south of Yogyakarta. In the middle of a SacredMountain of the linear and the sea, there are Kraton Yogyakarta as an axis, and the heart of Jogjakarta.

Prevent the balance of nature, Merapi Mountain has a cleansing ritual to keep the Javanese, their sacred respect. It was named Labuhan, threw a basket of fruit and live stock on the second stop of Mount Merapi. Drag the locals steep hill and take the basket on the mount.

The Labuhan Merapi Ceremony is held one day after the Commemoration of the Sultan's coronation. The Labuhan Ceremony is held on the 30th of Javanese month. On the same day, Labuhan Parangkusumo, threw the holy gifts to the sea.

The ritual is a tribute to Prince Sapujagat, ruler of Mount Merapi. The procession starts from the hamlet of Kinahrejo at 6:30 am, at Mbah Marijan's home, and traveled up and misty approximately two hours towards Bangsal Sri Maganti (vegetation boundery) the location of labuhan procession.

Mbah Marijan is the caretaker and messenger King of Jogjakarta to deliver the holy gift to the ruler of Mount Merapi. Labuhan was attended not only by the local people, but also the people from outside the area, hoping to get a blessing from the Creator.