JAKARTA: Indonesia’s historic royal capital of Solo will celebrate Eid Al-Adha with a royal procession on Saturday, in which “mountains” of local harvest are paraded and distributed as a symbol of gratitude and a reminder of the role of leaders in looking after the people’s welfare. 

Grebeg, which roughly translates to ‘mass celebration,’ is a public ceremony held three times a year on the island of Java to mark Islamic holidays, including Eid Al-Fitr and the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. 

Though Indonesians joined Muslims in other parts of the globe in starting Eid celebrations on Friday, the centuries-old Javanese tradition will take place on the second day of Eid. 

“Grebeg tradition started about 200 years ago at the Surakarta Royal Palace, this is a continuation from the same tradition that began in the Demak Sultanate,” Kanjeng Gusti Pangeran Haryo Adipati Dipokusumo, chief administrator of the Surakarta Royal Palace, told Arab News. 

Demak Sultanate, which was located in the present-day city of Demak, was the first Islamic state in Java, while Surakarta is another name for Solo, once the capital of the Mataram Sultanate — the last major independent Islamic state in Java before it was colonized by the Dutch. 

Grebeg involves an elaborate arrangement of local produce — including long beans, chili, and cassava — assembled in a decorated, mountain-like form and paraded from the palace to the nearby Great Mosque for a blessing, before it is brought to the public square for distribution. 

“First and foremost, the palace began this tradition as a way to spread Islamic teachings,” Dipokusumo said. “It is symbolic of values taught by Islamic prophets. The values of sincerity, patience, belief and trust, which also cover the importance of faith, intention, and gratitude.” 

Eid Al-Adha, the second of the two main holidays observed in Islam, commemorates the Prophet Ibrahim’s test of faith when he was commanded by God to sacrifice his son. To reflect his readiness to do so, Muslims around the world slaughter an animal, usually a goat, sheep or cow, and distribute the meat among relatives and the poor. 

The grebeg staged at Eid Al-Adha is known as Great Grebeg and incorporates the animal sacrifice aspect of the holiday. On Saturday, more than 500 people are expected to participate. 

Historically, the tradition also functions as a barometer of the local economy and welfare, he added, as the quality of the local harvest will be on display for the ceremony. 

“If there is some kind of issue with the production or distribution, it will be visible, prompting questions as to why it is happening. Let’s say maybe there is some kind of pest going around,” he said. “It will then prompt the palace to send an officer to investigate.” 

According to Ody Dwicahyo, an historian at the Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, the tradition is between 400 and 500 years old. 

Today, it is observed not only in Solo but also at the royal palace in Yogyakarta, another Javanese city.   

People will usually try to get an item from the mountain of produce to take home, Dwicahyo told Arab News. 

“Javanese people believe that produce from the king is symbolic, that it is blessed and far more special than food items they buy in the markets or harvest from their own farms,” he said. 

“Grebeg is mainly about Earth’s harvest, but when it is conducted during Eid Al-Adha, there’s the additional aspect of meat distribution from the ritual sacrifice presented by the king.” 

As Javanese people are “big believers in symbolic gestures,” grebeg served as an important occasion where the king gives something back to the people in return for their loyalty, and also a symbol of “how leaders must ensure the people’s welfare,” Dwicahyo said. 

Today, the palaces in Solo and Yogyakarta function as “cultural keepers” for this time-honored tradition. 

“Though times and people become more modern, this annual event is still routinely organized so people will still be aware of its function,” he said. 

“Maybe people won’t participate directly, but it’s actually a symbol that is applicable for leaders anywhere in the world: that a leader must ensure the welfare of his people.”