It is to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Wayang Orang Sriwedari,  a theatrical form of Wayang Orang of popular entertainment which was initiated in 1895 when it was first staged outside the Palace.

Reportedly, this art form was furthered by Gan Kiam, a businessman of Chinese ethnicity. The Wayang Orang Sriwedari Group, founded in 1910, enjoyed popular appreciation, but has been withering in later years.

An adaptation of the episode of same title in the grand epic of the Mahabharata, the epic story examines the sacrifice at the center of cosmic processes, of human nature and its potential implications. Specifically it intends to highlight the virtues of true leadership.

This is visualized in the story, performed not by the shadow play of leather puppets, but by people who dance the part of the wayang characters, a number of who are among the founding members of the foundation.

As the story goes, on the one hand were the Pandawa who were in the process of preparing the Grand Offering as a form of thanksgiving by Prabu Puntadewa of Indraprastha for the state of welfare and greatness it had achieved. The Grand Offering requires everything in the hundreds — a hundred kings, a hundred animals, a hundred types of plants — who would give their support, out of free will.  

But the kingdom of Giribajra, where Prabu Jasaranda is planning an offering too, evidently will be unable to get the hundred voluntary votes, and to get that he uses violence. He has already put 97 kings in jail, and three more were needed, so Jasaranda sent out special couriers to conquer Amarta, Dwarwati and Mandura. Before they could do so, however, Kresna, Bima and Arjuna came along. Transforming themselves as Brahmans, they get into the Giribajra kingdom and free the 97 kings from prison.

The Mitra Bharata Foundation this time cooperates with artists from Sriwedari-Solo, Suryosumirat- Puro Mangkunegaran, Ngesti Pandowo-Semarang, RRI-Surakarta, Barata-Jakarta, Institut Seni Indonesia-Surakarta, and Sekar Budaya Nusantara-Jakarta.

The Mitra Bharata Foundation was initiated by a group of socially well-to-do urbanistas in support of the Bharata Group. It then extended as a cooperation with the Bharata Group coming together in the Mitra Bharata Foundation whose main objective is for Wayang Orang as an important part of Javanese art and culture to survive and stand tall in the passing of time. Members of the foundation include, among others, Sudwikatmono, Wiwoho Basuki Tjokrohadiningrat, Tuti Roosdiono, Sri Astari, Teguh Sulisto Putro, and many more.

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