WORLD FOCUS

Indonesia’s royalty a cultural heritage

Festival of regal houses, indigenous groups showcases Indonesia's rich cultural heritage

Above and left: Representatives from several Indonesian kingdoms marching during the opening ceremony of the annual Asean Palaces and Indigenous Peoples festival on Oct 28 in Sumenep. Chairman of the Indonesian Royal Palace Forum, and Sultan of Cireb
Chairman of the Indonesian Royal Palace Forum, and Sultan of Cirebon, Mr Arief Natadiningrat (eighth from left), with kings and other royal members at the Asean Palaces and Indigenous Peoples festival on Oct 28 in Sumenep, East Java. ST PHOTO: LINDA YULISMAN
Above: President Joko Widodo and his wife Iriana at the opening of the festival on Oct 28.Right: Indonesian painter Namaku Lima Benua doing a sketch of Princess Wandansari Koes Moertiyah from Surakarta Palace during a royal dinner on Oct 27 at Sumene
Above: President Joko Widodo and his wife Iriana at the opening of the festival on Oct 28. PHOTO: ANTARA
Above and left: Representatives from several Indonesian kingdoms marching during the opening ceremony of the annual Asean Palaces and Indigenous Peoples festival on Oct 28 in Sumenep. Chairman of the Indonesian Royal Palace Forum, and Sultan of Cireb
Indonesian painter Namaku Lima Benua doing a sketch of Princess Wandansari Koes Moertiyah from Surakarta Palace during a royal dinner on Oct 27 at Sumenep Palace. ST PHOTO: LINDA YULISMAN
Above and left: Representatives from several Indonesian kingdoms marching during the opening ceremony of the annual Asean Palaces and Indigenous Peoples festival on Oct 28 in Sumenep. Chairman of the Indonesian Royal Palace Forum, and Sultan of Cireb
Above: Representatives from several Indonesian kingdoms marching during the opening ceremony of the annual Asean Palaces and Indigenous Peoples festival on Oct 28 in Sumenep. ST PHOTO: LINDA YULISMAN
Above and left: Representatives from several Indonesian kingdoms marching during the opening ceremony of the annual Asean Palaces and Indigenous Peoples festival on Oct 28 in Sumenep. Chairman of the Indonesian Royal Palace Forum, and Sultan of Cireb
Above: Representatives from several Indonesian kingdoms marching during the opening ceremony of the annual Asean Palaces and Indigenous Peoples festival on Oct 28 in Sumenep ST PHOTO: LINDA YULISMAN
Linda Yulisman Indonesia Correspondent In Sumenep (East Java)
Updated
Nov 18, 2018, 09:32 PM
Published
Nov 13, 2018, 05:00 AM
New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

More than 20 girls, each decked out in a colourful outfit of yellow, green, red and white, danced gracefully on a sunny day on a street in front of the majestic 255-year-old Great Mosque in Sumenep, a laid-back town on the island of Madura in north-eastern Java.

They gyrated slowly to the shimmering, pulsating sound of gamelan music unique to Sumenep Palace, with the dance signifying hope for good times.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

ST One Digital

 $9.90/month

No contract

ST app access on 1 mobile device

Subscribe now

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on November 13, 2018, with the headline Indonesia’s royalty a cultural heritage. Subscribe

Available for
iPhones and iPads
Available in
Google Play

MCI (P) 066/10/2023. Published by SPH Media Limited, Co. Regn. No. 202120748H. Copyright © 2024 SPH Media Limited. All rights reserved.

Back to the top