Northern alun-alun

Alun-alun utara

Built for training the Sultan's army, it was opened to the public during the reign of Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX. Now used for the quarterly Garebeg parade held in the months of Maulud, Besar and Sawal, according to the Javanese calendar. In the parade, the Sultan's servants carry huge cone-shaped offerings to the alun-alun. After the parade, attendees scramble to get a scrap of the offering as it is believed to bring good luck. Prior to the month of Maulud, a popular public fair is held here for 30 days, offers many kinds of goods from traditional handicrafts to Chinese ceramics. A snack associated with the fair is the doughnut-like galundeng. On weekend or holiday nights, pedal cars decorated with lights (gowes) can be hired to make a circuit of the square.