SEKATEN

This traditional Javanese festival in Yogyakarta and Surakarta celebrates the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. Begun in the ^15th century as a Hindu celebration, it has become a vehicle for the spread of Islam thanks to the traditional gamelan music. It includes a night market and the Grebeg Maulud, a procession of "gunungan", symbolic mountains made of rice and food, bringing blessings. With its unique rituals and musical celebrations, it offers a profound cultural and spiritual experience in a festive, communal environment.