K

ahiyang Ayu beamed after she was officially bestowed with the marga (family name) Siregar by South Tapanuli customary figures in Medan, North Sumatra, amid the elaborate wedding celebrations for her and husband Muhammad Bobby Afif Nasution.

The beating of a traditional gondang drum marked the family name-granting ceremony followed by yellow rice being thrown over the newlywed couple on Tuesday morning at the house of Bobby’s uncle on Jl. STM
in Medan.

The daughter of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo expressed her gratitude to the Siregar family and the customary leaders for bestowing the name on her, she is now Kahiyang Ayu Boru Siregar.

“I hope I can practice the advice that the leaders have given me. I also hope we can establish a sakinah [happy], mawaddah [loving] and rahmah [compassionate] family,” she said.

The ceremony was part of the week-long traditional Mandailing wedding celebrations to welcome the newlyweds, which kicked off on Sunday as the couple arrived in Medan.

The celebrations follow their wedding ceremony that was held in the Javanese tradition in Kahiyang’s hometown of Surakarta, Central Java on Nov. 8.

The ceremony on Tuesday started with the couple and their escorts, led by Coordinating Economic Affairs Minister Darmin Nasution, who served as the representative of the family, to the house of Doli Sinomba Siregar, the younger brother of Bobby’s mother Ade Hanifah Siregar. The group brought along food such as rice, chicken gulai (curry), wajik (sweet and sticky rice cake) and itak (traditional Mandailing snacks).

They were welcomed into the house upon permission from the Mandailing customary leaders that had previously held a meeting on granting the Siregar name to Kahiyang.

In the ceremony, which lasted for two hours, Kahiyang was handed a buffalo head representing prosperity, a kris and ulos (Batak traditional fabric), which completed the ceremony bestowing on Kahiyang the name
Siregar.

The new bride ended the ceremony by performing the traditional tortor dance in respect to the customary figures.

She and her husband Bobby were then escorted to a car to return to Bobby’s house.

Darmin said the Siregar family name was given as it was in line with the family of her mother-in-law.

“Because Bobby’s mother is a Siregar, the Nasution family asked for the President’s daughter to be bestowed with the Siregar family name,” he said, adding that after officially acquiring the family name, Kahiyang now has a clear position in Mandailing customary families.

Hundreds of residents enthusiastically gathered near the house to catch a glimpse of the newlyweds. Even though they could not witness the ceremony, they eagerly waited to see Kahiyang as she entered the house.

“She is so pretty,” said Risna who stood by since morning to witness the arrival of Kahiyang.

Another local resident, Nur Aliah Siregar, expressed her pride that the President’s daughter had taken the Siregar name.

“I am so proud, the marga Siregar is now more famous,” she said laughing.