After the Sitting-in-State ceremony, the newlyweds, Her Royal Highness Princess Hajah Majeedah Nuurul Bulqiah and Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Khairul Khalil, were led out of Istana Nurul Iman for the procession around Bandar Seri Begawan. Thousands converged to get a glimpse of the couple for the first time.
The newly-weds rode in a royal carriage, an especially modified open-topped Rolls-Royce, richly decorated with gold-encrusted ornaments. The carriage was preceded and followed by especially converted vehicles carrying royal regalias and paraphernalias. Also following closely behind were motorcades carrying His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, Her Majesty Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha and Her Royal Highness Pengiran Isteri Azrinaz Mazhar and other members of the Royal family.
The Royal carriage and entourage departed the palace and winded its way through the procession routes. Jubilant and excited crowds eagerly lined the procession route while waving flags bearing the portraits of the bride and bridegroom. The procession proceeded along Jalan Tutong heading into Bandar Seri Begawan. Thousands of flag-waving students lined the streets, many of them having assembled from early in the morning, as well as huge number of the public at large.
About a quarter of the route, part of the procession participants including ‘Awang-Awang’ and other regalia bearers alighted from their respective vehicles to continue the procession into the capital bearing their regalia on foot. The procession was led by the combined bands of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces and the Royal Brunei Police Force which further enlivened the festive atmosphere with renditions of Malay wedding-related melodies.
Meanwhile, a ‘Pemajangan Kenderaan’ or an elaborately-canopied vehicle, carried musicians playing ‘Gendang Arak-Arakan’ or traditional music signifying that the royal procession was in progress. This glorious pageantry was not only witnessed by the people of Brunei Darussalam but was telecast live throughout the Asia-Pacific by Radio Television Brunei. The whole proceedings also received a wide coverage by foreign media agencies who had sent cameramen and television crews. 32 foreign journalists were in the country to cover the Royal Wedding. Mediacorp News, Channel News Asia, Agence France-Presse, Singapore’s AFP and Malaysia and Jiangsu TV Newscentre from Shanghai are among the International Broadcasting Agencies to cover the Royal Wedding.
The procession routes were lined by some twelve thousand school children and students waving the national flags as well as members of the public eager to have a glimpse of the royal couple. The royal newly-weds were driven around Bandar Seri Begawan led by forty ‘Sinipit’, followed by ‘Hulubalang Diraja’ who carried ‘Pemuras’ and ‘Karga’, and ‘Hulubalang Asgar’ carrying the ‘Kalasak’ and ‘Kampilan’. They were complemented by bearers of the princess’s regalia which included ‘Payung’, ‘Kaskol’ and ‘Kain Pedukungan’. Seven female ‘Pahawai’ and as many male ‘Pahawai’ were also in the procession carrying the ‘Puan’, the ‘Tarian’, the ‘Kabok’ and ‘Panastan’, the ‘Kiap’, the ‘Chupu’, the ‘Pasigupan’ and a ‘Kaskol’. ‘Dayang-Dayang’ and ‘Awang-Awang’ who were also in the procession carried the ‘Dian’16. Other royal regalias which were brought forth into the procession included 16 ‘Pedang’ and ‘Perisai’, 16 ‘Tumbak Bendarangan’ and 8 ‘Kabok’ and ‘Panastan’.
Specially built stages dotted the routes to shelter the ‘Hadrah’ contingents. The procession on foot ended once it reached a part of the way on the return journey Istana Nurul Iman with the participants of the procession once again boarding their respective decorated vehicles. The Royal Carriage continued on to Istana Nurul Iman followed by motorcades carrying His Majesty and other members of the royal family. Back at Istana Nurul Iman, His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, Her Majesty the Raja Isteri and Her Royal Highness the Pengiran Isteri, as well as the royal newly-wed couple received greetings from State Dignitaries who attended the ‘Majlis Istiadat Bersanding Pengantin Diraja’.
(11th June 2007)
