Kasunanan Surakarta Keraton also held the traditional Kirab Malam 1 Suro this year. Different from the one organized by Pura Mangkunegaran on the same day, Thursday, June 26, 2025, at 21.00 WIB, the procession of the Surakarta Palace relics in Solo started at midnight at 24.00 WIB.
A group of albino buffaloes known as Kebo Bule, descendants of Kiai Slamet’s buffalo, were at the forefront of the Surakarta Palace Kirab procession. There were five of them. In addition, dozens of other Surakarta Palace relics such as keris, spears, and others, were also carried by several servants and sentana dalem during the procession.
PB XIII’s younger brother, KGPH Puger, said that before participating in the Kirab, Kiai Slamet’s buffaloes were bathed with scented water with fresh flowers to ensure cleanliness when released. The Kebo Bule were also quarantined in a clean place.
The presence of Kebo Bule in the Surakarta Palace tradition dates back to the long history of the kingdom. According to literature from the Keraton Nusantara Library, Kiai Slamet’s Kebo Bule is a descendant of an albino buffalo given as a gift by Kiai Hasan Besari Tegalsari Ponorogo to Paku Buwono II, the King of Kartasura Palace.
When Paku Buwono II was looking for a new location to establish a new palace after Kartasura, the buffalo was released into the wild and stopped at the location that is now the Surakarta Palace. Since then, Kebo Bule has become a spiritual symbol that is ingrained in every Kirab procession of relics.
Various members of the Surakarta Palace family took part in the procession, including the Crown Prince of the Surakarta Palace Kanjeng Gusti Pangeran Adipati Anom Sudibyo Rojoputro Nalendra ing Mataram, the queen GKR Pakubuwono XIII, the daughter of King Paku Buwono XIII GKR Timoer Rumbai Kusuma Dewayani, and other royal family members. Also present were several officials, including the Governor of Central Java Ahmad Luthfi, Mayor of Solo Respati Ardi, and Deputy Mayor of Solo Astrid Widayani.
The Kirab participants must wear complete Javanese traditional attire. Men wear black beskap and jarik, while women wear black kebaya and batik jarik. They walked barefoot along the procession route, without speaking to enhance the solemnity of the event.
On the other hand, the public, including tourists, enthusiastically watched the Kirab Pusaka Surakarta Palace procession. Throughout the procession route, thousands of people crowded to witness the sacred tradition that is routinely held on the night of the Javanese New Year.
One visitor, Suharto, 65, from Klaten Regency, stated that he deliberately came to Solo to witness the Kirab Pusaka Malam 1 Suro because he enjoys cultural preservation. He expressed his happiness with the cultural preservation and the wisdom gained from such traditions.
