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span class="caption" style="width: 398px;">Purification: Gusti Kanjeng Ratu Bendara (left), the youngest daughter of Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, takes part in a siraman ritual with her mother, Sultana Hemas (right), at Sekar Kedaton hall near the Yogyakarta Palace on Monday. The ritual symbolizes the cleansing of the bride’s soul ahead of her wedding. JP/Tarko SudiarnoThe second day of royal wedding rituals for Gusti Kangjeng Ratu Bendara, 25, of the Yogyakarta Palace and her betrothed, Kanjeng Pangeran Haryo Yudanegara, 30, began on Monday morning with traditional siraman (bathing) ceremonies.

The siraman for the bride was done at the palace’s Kaputren complex, while the groom’s ritual was conducted at the Kasatriyan compound.

“Siraman have the philosophical meaning of cleansing both the bodies and souls of the bride and groom before they marry,” royal wedding coordinator Kanjeng Raden Tumenggung Yudahadiningrat said at the palace.

Bendara’s mother, Sultana Hemas, led the ritual, accompanied by her eldest daughter, Gusti Kangjeng Ratu Pembayun. The bride and groom were adorned with flowers and bathed in a mixture of sacred water taken from seven wells in the palace compound.

Also participating were elder members of the royal family. Family members of Yudanegara, who was born to a commoner family in Lamoung, were present for his siraman.

Tensions emerged after organizers banned some journalists from entering the Kaputren and the Kasatriyan while allowing other reporters inside, claiming that it was done at the request of the palace.

One banned photographer was indignant. “This is unbelievable. We were selected before to take pictures. Now, suddenly, we are banned from doing so?” Juli Nugroho from Suara Merdeka daily said.

The rituals continued on Monday evening with a tantingan, when Bendara’s father, Yogyakarta Governor Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, asked his daughter if she wanted to marry.

“If the answer is convincing the marriage is continued. If not, the marriage is canceled,” Yudahadiningrat said, adding that there was no hesitation as Bendara answered, as she had known Yudanegara for several years.

The procession ended with the midodareni ritual, when the bride was made up to be more beautiful. “This symbolizes that even angels give their blessing to the bride and groom,” Yudahadiningrat said.

Other activities at the palace included the installation of tarub tent decorations and other ornaments, such as bananas, young coconut leaves and coconuts. Two buffalo heads were placed at the palace’s main door to get rid of bad luck.

President Susilo Bambang Yu-dhoyono, Vice President Boediono and 25 Cabinet ministers will be joined by a host of high officials at the wedding.