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Gowa king laid to rest in royal cemetery
Andi Muhammad Imam, the eldest son of the late 38th Gowa king, has been named as the successor of Andi Kumala Idjo Karaeng Lembang Parang Sultan Malikussaid II Batara Gowa III.
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The Tubarani royal guards escort the coffin of the late 38th Gowa king, Andi Kumala Idjo Daeng Sila Karaeng Lembang Parang Sultan Malikussaid II Batara Gowa III, on its way to the Katangka Mosque for a special prayer before burial on Nov. 29, 2024, in Somba Opu, Gowa regency, South Sulawesi. Andi Kumala Idjo passed away on Nov. 28, 2024, in Makassar. (kompas.com/Abdul Haq Yahya Maulana T.)
T
housands of residents of Gowa regency in South Sulawesi attended the funeral of the 38th king of Gowa, Andi Kumala Idjo Daeng Sila Karaeng Lembang Parang Sultan Malikussaid II Batara Gowa III, on Friday.
Andi Kumala Idjo, also known as Sombayya, passed away on Thursday at 7:25 a.m. local time at Wahidin Sudirohusodo Central General Hospital in Makassar.
The 65-year-old king had been battling heart disease since 2012.
"Sombayya passed away at 7:21 at the Wahidin Central General Hospital,” the deceased king’s oldest son Andi Muhammad Imam told reporters on Thursday, as reported by detik.com.
The funeral procession started at Balla Lompoa Palace in Somba Opu district at about 10:10 a.m. with ammolong tedong (sacrificed water buffalo), as part of the send-off ceremony, tribunnews.com reported.
During the ceremony, the queen dowager Andu Hikmawati announced that Andi Muhammad Imam would be crowned as the 39th Gowa king.
“I, the queen of the 38th Gowa king announce that the deceased king’s oldest son, Andi Muhammad Imam, will replace his father, Andu said, as quoted by tribunnews.com.
Andi Kumala Idjo’s resume was read before the family handed over his remains to the South Sulawesi provincial administration for burial.
The remains were then carried by the Tubarani royal guards to the Katangka Mosque where a special prayer was then performed after Friday prayers.
The Katangka royal family cemetery is located next to the mosque.
A number of local leaders, including South Sulawesi provincial secretary Jufri Rahman attended the funeral after attending the send-off ceremony at Balla Lompoa Palace.
On Thursday, several South Sulawesi officials paid their respects to the late king, including South Sulawesi Police chief Insp. Gen. Yudhiawan Wibisono and South Sulawesi acting governor Zudan Arif Fakrulloh.
The Gowa kingdom traces its history to the establishment of the Gowa chiefdom in 1320.
After Indonesia declared its independence, the 36th Gowa king, Andi Idjo Karaeng Lalolang Sultan Muhammad Abdul Kadir Aidudin, declared the kingdom to be part of Indonesia.
With the declaration, Andi Idjo Karaeng Lalolang became the first Gowa regent.
Andi Idjo Karaeng Lalolang ruled from 1956 to 1978.
It was not until 2018 that the Gowa royal family decided to crown the next king, Andi Maddusila Andi Idjo I Maddusila Daeng Mannyonri Karaeng Katangka Sultan Aluddin II, who was in office from 2016 to 2018.
Andi Kumala Idjo assumed the office in 2018, replacing his older brother Andi Maddusila.
Just like other kingdoms in Indonesia after independence, the Gowa king acts more as the guardian of local customs and traditions, rather than wielding sovereign power.
