Jokowi rejects political reading of kerbau-head ritual in Lampung
He said the ceremony is a long-standing Lampung custom, performed hundreds of times, as part of an honorific in Bandar Lampung.
Joko Widodo rejected claims that the ritual of stepping on a buffalo head when receiving an adat title in Lampung carried a political message. In Solo on Tuesday (7/7/2026), the seventh president of Indonesia said the ritual was a Lampung customary tradition that has been passed down for generations and has been carried out “ratusan kali dilakukan”.
The ceremony took place when Jokowi received the title “Baginda Pemuka Bangsa” at Kedatun Keagungan, Jalan Sultan Haji, Bandar Lampung, on Saturday (27/6). He described the title as a sign of respect from Istana Kedatun Kerajaan Lampung.
The ritual drew attention after some interpreted it as a political symbol linked to PDIP and the bull's head emblem. Jokowi urged the public not to read everything through a political lens and stressed the importance of respecting adat, local wisdom, and cultural diversity.