On Tuesday, October 13, 2026, the Department of Anthropology at UGM held a
celebration featuring a “tumpeng”. This celebration was held to commemorate the 62nd
anniversary of the Department of Anthropology at UGM. At 1:00 p.m., right at lunchtime, the
staff and faculty members moved the yellow rice tumpeng—which had previously been in the
Reading Room—to the tables and chairs in front of the Anthropology Library on the 5th floor of
the Soegondo Building, Faculty of Cultural Sciences. The tumpeng was moved in front of the
library so that students on the 5th floor could join the staff and faculty for the communal meal.
In front of the library tables, faculty and staff stood in a circle facing the tumpeng. Students who
were in the library at the time were also asked to step outside and participate in the celebration. Dr.
Agung Wicaksono, M.A., Chair of the UGM Department of Anthropology, led the celebration
while inviting those in the vicinity of the fifth floor to join the event. Prof. Dr. Pujo Semedi Hargo
Yuwono, M.A., led the opening prayer in Javanese before the event began. The prayer was offered
for the continued success of the Department of Anthropology, for the retired faculty members who
have passed away, and for the current faculty and students, so that academic activities in the UGM
Department of Anthropology may proceed smoothly.
After the opening prayer, Dr. Agung Wicaksono, M.A., cut the yellow rice tumpeng and
presented the first few slices to Fajrul Falah Nazarudin, S.E. as a representative of the Anthropology
faculty, and to Prof. Dr. Setiadi, M.Si., Prof. Dr. Atik Triratnawati, M.A., and Dr. Elan Ardri
Lazuardi, S.Ant., M.A., as faculty members. As for the student representative, a Cultural
Anthropology student from the class of 2026 named Sham was also given one of the first slices of
the yellow rice tumpeng. The yellow rice tumpeng, along with its side dishes such as chicken,
tempeh, tofu, and others, was then served to every faculty member, staff member, and student who
joined in the celebration. Happy 62nd anniversary to the Department of Anthropology.
Author: Leonard Dimas
