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Teguh ing lampah,

Rinaket  ing budaya seni tradhisi,

Satuhu ing budi…

That is the theme of the “Srawung Kampung” which is opened with a long march carnival participated by Bumen residents, on Sunday, November 1^st   2009 in Kotagede. 

“Srawung Kampung” is a Javanese term for “mingled with the kampong people by acknowledging all the uniqueness and its potentials”. This event, which is created by Bumen residents together with Yayasan Pondok Rakyat (YPR), is aimed to maintain the tradition of Bumen Kampong, as a medium of expression and also as a medium of inheriting the history of the kampong to the future generation.

In this carnival, there are two giant puppets, which are male and female, called ‘genderuwo’. Back to the fifties, ‘genderuwo’ had reached its popularity when every year, Bumen people used to display the giant ‘genderuwo’ in a parade celebrating the Independence Day of Indonesia. Nowadays, the memorabilia of the past has been brought again in the opening carnival of “Srawung Kampung”.

This carnival is followed by most Bumen residents (whether they are men or women, children or elders, youngsters or adults) who are enthusiastically participated in the long march by dressing up in some characters of Javanese leather puppets. We can see the characters of Punakawan (Semar, Petruk, Gareng, and Bagong), Limbuk and Cangik, Penthul and Tembem, and also The White Monkey, Hanoman. There is also a couple of Javanese bride and groom complete with its escorts. Marisa Richest, a German-born student who becomes a volunteer in YPR, looks so happy in her make up as a Javanese bride.

Furthermore, the group of Sholawatan also takes a part in this carnival by singing Sholawat (chanting and praising on Mohammed prophet) along the road. Besides, a group of Srandhul (Bumen traditional performance arts), children wearing cheeky masks, teenagers with vegetables baskets, mothers with Kembang Waru cakes, and little girls with their kebaya also make this carnival vivid and lively. Hundred of Kotagede people along with journalists and photographers fulfilled the road watching this opening carnival until the sun sets in the west.

What a stunning carnival!