KPH Notonegoro, commander of the Yogyakarta Palace guards and a senior official at Kawedanan Kaprajuritan, said the decision follows Circular Letter No. 6/2025 issued by the Forestry Ministry’s conservation directorate.
“Starting with Garebeg Sawal Dal 1959, elephants will no longer participate in the gunungan and pareden procession,” Notonegoro said in a statement released in Yogyakarta on Friday.
Grebeg Syawal forms part of the palace’s Hajad Dalem royal ceremonies marking Eid al-Fitr 1447 Hijri at the Yogyakarta Palace.
The annual celebration is scheduled for Friday, March 20, and typically attracts thousands of residents and visitors eager to watch the royal procession and receive ceremonial offerings.
Preparations will begin with palace soldiers assembling at 6:30 a.m. local time at the Kamandhungan Kidul complex within the palace grounds.
Around 9:00 a.m., the procession of palace guards and gunungan offerings will descend from Siti Hinggil toward the Pagelaran courtyard.
Gunungan are cone-shaped arrangements of agricultural produce and traditional foods symbolizing prosperity and gratitude in Javanese royal tradition.
At the end of the ceremony, the offerings are distributed to the public, an event eagerly anticipated by residents who believe the items bring blessings.
The Garebeg Sawal Dal 1959 celebrations began earlier with the traditional Numplak Wajik ritual marking the preparation of ceremonial offerings.
KRT Kusumonegoro, a palace official from the Kawedanan Reksa Suyasa office, said the ritual was held at Panti Pareden in the Magangan complex.
The ceremony took place on Tuesday (March 17, 2026) afternoon after the Asar prayer and involved palace attendants preparing wajik, a sticky rice sweet used as the main ingredient for the offerings.
“Those who wish to witness the ritual are welcome, but we ask visitors to maintain order,” Kusumonegoro said.
The palace also urged members of the public attending Eid al-Fitr and Grebeg Syawal events to remain orderly during the celebrations.
Spectators are asked to give way to the marching palace guards and the gunungan procession before the offerings are distributed.
Authorities expect large crowds for the ceremony, one of the most prominent royal traditions held annually in Yogyakarta.
During the Eid al-Fitr celebrations, the palace will also enforce a ban on drone flights and similar devices within the palace area.
The restriction applies up to an altitude of 150 meters above ground level to ensure the procession runs smoothly and safely.
Indonesia’s Forestry Ministry issued Circular No. 6/2025 on Dec. 18, 2025, formally ending elephant riding activities at conservation centers nationwide.
The regulation reflects the government’s effort to strengthen ethical wildlife management and conservation practices.
The Indonesian government lists Sumatran elephants among the country’s critically endangered mammals.
According to figures published by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the population of Sumatran elephants is estimated at about 2,400–2,800 individuals.
The global conservation group says ivory products are still found in markets across Africa and Asia, as well as in the United States and Europe.
WWF has warned that poaching linked to the illegal ivory trade remains a serious threat to wild elephant populations in several countries.
Related news: Prabowo prepares directives to protect Sumatran, Bornean elephants
Translator: Luqman H, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: M Razi Rahman
Copyright © ANTARA 2026
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