sekaten

Sekaten Solo

21 - 26 Februari 2010

Venue: Alun-alun Utara Keraton Kasunanan Surakarta

Kata Sekaten berasal dari istilah agama Islam, Syahadatain atau dua kalimat syahadat. Ritual untuk memperingati Hari Kelahiran Nabi Muhammad SAW ini dimeriahkan berbagai pertunjukan dan pasar rakyat yang memasarkan souvenir dan kerajinan tangan lainnya. Ada pula pameran benda-benda pusaka di Pagelaran Keraton

SOLO - SEKATEN

Sekatern encompasses at least two related but different concepts. First, sekaten is a annualy festivities to commemorate the birthday of the prophet Muhammad. Its held between fifth and twelfh of the Javanese month Maulud. In this occasion, keraton or sultan palace in Java, like Surakarta (Central Java province), Yogyakarta (DI Yogyakarta
province), and Cirebon (West Java) becoming a center of the festival. Many activities are being held in and around keraton, from night market until parade of regalia of royalties.

Second, its refer to Javanese gamelan, gamelan sekaten, that played in this festival in the keraton Solo, Yogya and Cirebon. Keraton Yogyakarta, for example own two sets of gamelan sekaten, named Kyai Guntur Madu and Kyai Naga Wilaga also in Surakarta is named Kyai Guntur Madu and Kyai Guntur Sari.

This gamelan is very large and heavy, three times than the size and weight of a normal Javanese gamelan but the composition almost similar, like bonang, demung, saron, saron penerus, bedug, kempyang, dan gong ageng. This gamelan usually play in seven days in a week during the festival from this morning until evening.

But sekaten also refer to sekati, a measure of weight formelt used by Javanese and to syahadatain, two sentences of the syahadat or the acknoledgment of acceptance which is the primary requirement for conversion to Islam.