PART 4: GREBEG CEREMONY

Grebeg is a religious ceremony in Kraton which is held three times a year, i.e. Grebeg Maulud (commemorating the birth of Prophet Muhammad), Grebeg Syawal (celebrating Eid Al Fithr) and Grebeg Besar (celebrating Eid Al Adha). On these three days, Sri Sultan gives sedekah gunungan (mount summit-shaped offerings) consisting of many kinds of traditional cakes, crops, etc. These ceremonies are held with another one called Penembah Tuhan Yang Maha Kuasa ceremony by Sri Sultan Himself at the north Sitihinggil and followed by prayers recitation led by a Kyai Pengulu for the wealth of the people, the greatness of the religion (Islam) and the happiness as well as the safety of the Kraton in particular and the nation in general.

Going out of Regol Sri Manganti, Sri Sultan would see Bangsal Ponconiti. Ponco means five, a symbol of our five senses. Niti means experimenting, investigating, or examining. Here Sri Sultan begins to investigate his senses and to focus His mind on Allah and highly esteem His Commands. For that matter, on the left and right of Bangsal Ponconiti, there are Tanjung trees. Its front yard is called Kemandungan. Mandung means to gather. To the north of this yard, there are Kepel and Cengkir Gading trees. Kepel or kempel means getting solidified or frozen. Cengkir Gading colors yellow. Yellow is a symbol of divinity. Then everything has a meaning: “Gather and solidify your senses and mind, because you are going to worship “Gusti ingkang Maha Agung” through Regol Bajranala. Sri Sultan would go upstairs and he would see a wall made of bricks called “Rentang Mentog Baturatna”. Braja means a weapon, Nala means heart, Renteng means difficult or worried or doubted and Baturana means stone separator. All this means: Sri Sultan needs not to worry if he becomes God’s ‘tool’ to run a fair nation.

Then Sri Sultan would go upstairs, turn right and would see a Jambu Tlampok Arum (guava) tree. This tree means: “Keep saying enchanting (good) things”. And now he is really in the Sitihinggil. On his left, he would see Kemuning trees, planted in rows on the south.

Later Sri Sultan would go up to Bangsal Witono. Bangsal Witono means heningkanlah pikiran Tuan (make your mind silent). Witono comes from Kawi (old Javanese) language which means a place to sit on (chair, etc.) in heaven. In Javanese, it means wiwitana (start). Bangsal Witono is a place for the Kingdom to keep its heirlooms for the Grebeg ceremonies. On its west floor side, there is a condrosengkolo which says “Tinata Pirantining Madya Witono” or 1855 in Javanese Calendar and on its east “Linugid Kembang Gatraning Rong”or 1926 in Masehi Calendar, years when Sri Sultan was on his throne.

Before sitting on the throne, it is laid out first in Bangsal Manguntur Tangkil by two abdi dalem whose names start with Wignya and Derma. Each abdi dalem has a special and unique name, based on their jobs and positions in the Kraton, e.g. Wignyasakerta, Wignyamenggala ets. Or Dermosemono, Dermokalpito etc. The prefix Wignya means a position/job to bring Sri Sultan’s ampilan, e.g. tombak (Javanese traditional weapon), swords, etc. while Dermo shows a position as the experts of carving. This combination means that Tuan Wignya is expected to be able to sit on the throne, on people’s faces, because he is only representing God the Almighty. There is no wonder that Sri Sultan has a title: Abdurrachman Sayidin Panatagama Kalifatullah.