The Five Mountains Community (KLG) has once again presented its prestigious honor, the Lima Gunung Award 2026, to a senior artist from Magelang Regency, Sukitri. The award, presented to coincide with the silver jubilee celebration of the Lima Gunung Festival, serves as the highest form of respect for Mbah Kitri's—as the sinden is affectionately called—decades-long dedication to keeping the spirit of traditional Javanese arts alive.
Cultural figure and KLG founder, Sutanto Mendut, revealed that the decision to award the 81-year-old woman was based on her unwavering lifelong dedication. Not only skilled as a sinden (traditional Javanese singer), Mbah Kitri is also known for her expertise in dancing and playing the gamelan, and she has successfully passed down a love for pedalangan (puppetry) and karawitan arts to her children, grandchildren, and son-in-law.
Due to physical limitations owing to old age, the handover of the award certificate in the Mount Merbabu area on Sunday (12/7/2026) was represented by her son, Triyono, who is a dalang (puppet master). Representing the family, Triyono expressed deep gratitude for the recognition given by the community. For him, this award serves as a spark of encouragement for the next generations of the family to continue preserving their ancestors' cultural heritage.
This award was part of the festivities of the 25th Lima Gunung Festival, which carried the theme "Makin Goblok Bareng" (Getting Foolish Together). The independently organized event, held without sponsors, involved 85 art groups with over a thousand artists in total. Throughout the event, the Warangan Hamlet area in Pakis District was transformed into a rich cultural appreciation space, ranging from cultural parades to collaborative stages featuring local and national artists.
