Maksum Nur Fauzan

Surakarta, a major city in Central Java, celebrated its 274th anniversary on Sunday with Semarak Jenang Solo, a jubilant procession and free giveaway of jenang (traditional pudding) at the Sriwedari Plaza.

Surakarta’s national flag hoisting team (Paskibraka) and young residents, who carried 17 kinds of jenang, began the procession by parading from Sriwedari Stadium to the plaza.

Each pudding was given a different name with a specific meaning. Among them were jenang sengkala, signifying the existence of male and female humans, and jenang procot, a Javanese term for the safe delivery of a child.

There were also 274 jenang stands that sold puddings from local traders, residents and government agencies.

Surakarta Mayor FX. Hadi Rudyatmo then began the official procession for the jenang giveaway. He poured coconut milk into a large container and rounded the number of jenang portions up to 1,000 to make a replica of the city’s clock monument, Tugu Jam Pasar Gede.

Thereafter, 1,000 containers of pudding were available for all those attending the event.

The sharing of jenang among the people of Surakarta was intended to bring abundance and fortune and promote mutual assistance in the building of the city’s future.

The mayor also called for unity. “We are Solo [Surakarta] residents. In music, solo means one and we should thus always be united,” said Hadi.