The Festival – Solo City

Solo has developed a unique identity as a favorite tourist destination of the country. Festival in Solo forms an integral part of the culture of the local people. The people of Solo celebrate different colorful festivals and occasions.

Sekaten or Garebeg Ceremony Solo
The Sekaten or Garebeg Ceremony is an annual festival that is arranged in the month of Mulud, which is the third month acoording to the Japanese calendar. The ceremony starts on the fifth day of the month. The Sekaten or Garebeg Ceremony, Solo continues for seven consecutive days. The festival of Sekaten or Garebeg Ceremony is dedicated to celebrate the birth of Prophet Muhammad.

It's begins at the midnight. The royal servants of Abdi Dalem take out a procession that leaves from the Kraton Ponconiti Hall. The procession marches with two sets of Gamelan being carried abreast. One of them is named Kyai Gunturmadu and the other one is Kyai Nogowilogo. The Gamelans are carried down to the Malioboro Street up to the Grand Mosque. Kyai Gunturmadu and Kyai Nogowilogo are played at the same time. They are plated till they are taken back to the Kraton Ponconiti Hall at midnight on the eleventh day of the month of Mulud. The festival of Sekaten or Garebeg Ceremony concludes with the Gerebeg Maulud Ceremony. The Sekaten or Garebeg Ceremony is celebrated with a particular belief. According to the local belief, celebrating the occasion of Sekaten and listening to playing of Gamelans will reward the participants with prosperity and sound health.

Commemoration of 1st Suro
In Central Java and in many places in the island even outside the island where live communities of Javanese lineage, a lot of people are commemorating the first of Suro, a day considered as sacred by many Javanese. They wish to 'ngalap berkah', to receive blessing from that great holy day. Some of them are doing 24 (twenty four) hours of fasting, stay awaken for the whole night, doing meditation in solitude.

Many places considered as having supernatural powers are visited by a huge crowd doing pilgrimage. Many climbers are on the top of mountain Lawu, eastward of Solo. Thousands pilgrims spend their night, without sleeping, on the south sea beach of Parang Tritis and Parang Kusumo in Yogyakarta. Mountain Dieng around 100 km southwest of Semarang are also plenty of visitors. Some springs and rivers are crowded with night bathers, the favorite places are the meeting of two rivers. Some bathers remain in the streams for several hours, only their heads appear above the water. Others remain awake until sunset on the riverbanks after bathing.

The graveyards of distinguished ancestors, kings or wise men are also plenty of pilgrims. Wayang kulit or wayangan (leather puppet) performances can be seen in many places of various cities and villages. Some believe that the best way to commemorate (Mangayu Bagyo) the 1st of Suro is by watching wayang kulit performance where the audience should receive some valuable advice on good conducts and spiritual teachings.

The Heirlooms Procession (Kirab Pusaka)
The Heirlooms Procession is a traditional event held by Kasunanan and Mangkunegaran Palaces to celebrate the Javanese New Year, the first of Asyura. The procession displays the royal heirlooms which are carried surround both the Kasunanan and Mangkunegaran Palaces by Royal Palaces Attendants wearing traditional Javanese court clothes. The ceremony begins at 7 PM in the Mangkunegaran Palace and at midnight in the Kasunanan Palace. A lot of people attending this parade, waiting along the streets, which are the route of the procession. It starts from Karaton to Alun-alun Utara (North Square) and then gladag, turn left to Pasar (market) Kliwon, Gading (South Square), Nonongan, North square again and back to Karaton. The leader (Cucuk Lampah) of Kasunanan procession is unique, it is a white buffalo, by the name of Kyai Slamet.

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