A unique figure stood out amid the solemn atmosphere of the Postgraduate Graduation Ceremony for the third period of the 2024/2025 academic year at Grha Sabha Pramana on Wednesday, Apr. 23.
A middle-aged man appeared dressed in a traditional costume resembling a Yogyakarta royal soldier, complete with a peculiar doll strapped to his chest.
That man was 68-year-old Budi Prasojo, a retired high school and Islamic junior high school teacher from Pandean, Umbulharjo, Yogyakarta.
He attended the ceremony as the father-in-law of one of the graduates, Sarly Puspita Ariesta, MD, who had just earned her subspecialist degree in Geriatrics.
Prasojo’s choice of costume had a purpose. He revealed that he had vowed to wear the Ledhek Gogik outfit if his daughter-in-law succeeded in earning a subspecialist degree.
The doll he carried was specially decorated in a blue floral-patterned surjan (traditional Javanese attire), blangkon (headgear), two UGM sashes, and a simple printed photo of his daughter-in-law and her family attached to its chest.
“When my son (Ariesta’s husband) earned his doctoral degree during the COVID-19 pandemic, I didn’t get the chance to wear this costume. So now, I’m fulfilling that vow for my daughter-in-law,” he said proudly.
Ledhek Gogik is a nearly extinct traditional performance art. The name comes from the word ledhek, meaning dancer, and gogik, referring to dry tiwul, a staple food during the famine of the 1960s.
It reflects the people’s struggle to find food, often by reboiling dried tiwul with coconut and then turning that hardship into entertainment and dance.
“I want to reintroduce this old art form to the public. This dance can follow any kind of rhythm,” Prasojo explained.
He added that only a few people still preserve Ledhek Gogik today, including himself through his involvement in the Pandean Tourism Village Community in Yogyakarta.
Shortly after his arrival, the graduation staff escorted Prasojo to the second floor to sit behind the graduation stage. A few moments later, the staff invited Ariesta to meet her father-in-law.
Ariesta admitted she was surprised to see him wearing the Ledhek Gogik costume. She expressed her deep gratitude for the unwavering support from her family and husband, who also earned a doctoral degree in Electrical Engineering from UGM.
She added that her father-in-law has always loved traditional arts and had previously performed as a dalang (puppet master) and ketoprak actor.
“He’s truly a cultural figure. He loves me like his own daughter,” she said emotionally.
Prasojo’s presence at the UGM graduation ceremony was not only a gesture of family support but also an act of cultural preservation. His spirit inspires younger generations to stay connected to their cultural roots.
“Work well, build a good family, and be a good citizen,” Prasojo advised his daughter-in-law.
Author: Bolivia Rahmawati
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Photographs: Astri and K5L UGM