Royal weddings are everywhere this year – including Indonesia, a democratic country that has numerous provincial and tribal monarchies, though most of them are ceremonial. This Tuesday saw the youngest daughter of the Sultan Hamengkubuwono X of Yogyakarta get married.
Click here for original article at The Jakarta Post
Princess Gusti Kanjeng Ratu Bendara wed a civil servant from Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital, named Kanjeng Pangeran Haryo Yudanegara. Their wedding included three days of celebrations leading up to Tuesday’s event.
They married early in the morning at the palace’s Panepen Mosque, led by the Sultan himself. The ceremony was conducted in Javanese. Even the groom spoke in Javanese, though he is not an ethnic Javanese; he is from Lampung province in the Sumatera island.
In fact, the groom’s birth name is Achmad Ubaidillah, but his father-in-law changed it due to his marriage. Even his daughter’s name was changed. Her birth name was Gusti Raden Ajeng Nurastuti Wijareni, but now she’s simply known as Gusti Kanjeng Ratu Bendara, or just Bendara.
The marriage ceremony did not have Bendara and Yudanegara together. Like many Islamic weddings, the bride waits outside while her father accepts the groom as his son in law. Only after the ceremony do they meet.
After Yudanegara said his vows to the Sultan, he and Bendara reunited and then took part in another ceremony, this one steeped in ritual. The Princess and Yudanegara met at the palace’s Bangsal Kencana verandah, where they stepped on eggs, Bendara washed her new husband’s feet and was carried by him and his uncle to symbolize Yudanegara’s obligation to care and protect his wife.
The ritual was witnessed by 2,000 guests, including President Susilo Bambang Yu-dhoyono, First Lady Ani Yudhoyono, Vice President Boediono, and former vice presidents Jusuf Kalla and Hamzah Haz. Former President Megawati Soekarnoputri was there briefly; she left when Yu-dhoyono arrived.
Outside, 40,000 people celebrated in the street leading from the palace to the governor’s compound, which is on the same street. The street party included not only traditional Yogyakarta performances, but those from East Java and East Nusa Tenggara.
The Sultan’s eldest daughter, Gusti Kanjeng Ratu Pembayun said: “I also want to extend our gratitude to all Yogyakartans for their participation.”
Special thanks to Nala for alerting me about this!
Sources: Jakarta Post, Jakarta Globe and Nala
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