Yogyakarta, March 14 -- The Yogyakarta Palace said elephants will no longer appear in the Grebeg Syawal procession in 2026, aligning the centuries-old ceremony with new Indonesian regulations banning elephant riding demonstrations at conservation institutions.

KPH Notonegoro, commander of the Yogyakarta Palace guards and a senior official at Kawedanan Kaprajuritan , said the decision follows Circular Letter No. 6/2025 issued by the Forestry Ministry's conservation directorate.

"Starting with Garebeg Sawal Dal 1959, elephants will no longer participate in the gunungan and pareden procession," Notonegoro said in a statement released in Yogyakarta on Friday.

Grebeg Syawal forms part of the palace's Hajad Dalem royal ceremonies marking Eid...