5 Most Unique Festivals In Indonesia
Indonesia is a country rich in culture or a thousand festivals. Each region has a different culture. From many festivals that held in Indonesia, there are 5 most unique festivals in Indonesia.
Baliem Valley Festival, Papua
This is the oldest cultural festival in Indonesia that held in in the Baliem Valley, Jayawijaya Mountains. The festival symbolizes the power of the Dani, Lani, and Yali tribes and usually held for 3 days in August. During the festival, tourists can see a variety of local traditions such as javelin and karapan pig. There are also dance performances of war, traditional musical instruments, and burn the stones as the cooking methods of the inland tribes of Papua.
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| Baliem Valley Festival, Papua |
Rambu Solok, Sulawesi
Rambu Solok is a traditional ceremony of the death of Toraja people to bring the spirit of the deceased into the spirit realm. Rambu Solok is divided into several ceremonies ranging from Rante Ceremony, Buffalo Adu, Footfight, and others. Rante is the top ceremony covering several rituals ranging from wrapping corpses until the process of cultivating the corpse to the final resting place. This ceremony takes 2-3 days to 2 weeks for the nobility.
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| Rambu Solok, Sulawesi |
Bau Nyale, Lombok
In February, the Sasak people of Lombok celebrate the traditional Bau Nyale festival. In the local language, Bau Nyale means searching for 'nyale', a type of marine worm that appears on the coast at certain times of the year. During the Bau Nyale Festival, local people go to Seger Beach or Kaliantan Beach in Jerowaru District, East Lombok. People believe, nyale is not a common marine worm but has something to do with the legend of Princess Mandalika. It is said that once lived a princess named Mandalika. Her beauty is famous throughout the island and became the target of men. Desperate because many men quarreled to get her, the princess threw herself into the ocean. Citizens then find her in the form of sea worms scattered on the beach.
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| Bau Nyale, Lombok |
Pasola, Sumba
Pasola is held every February in Kodi or Lamboya area, and March in Wanakoka area. Dozens of horses ran across the meadow and each jockey carries a spear which is then thrown in all directions. Pasola is played by men from 2 different tribes. This is a bloody festival but its traditions are rooted up to now and become a very powerful magnet for tourists.
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| Pasola, Sumba |
Kasada, East Java
Kasada ceremony is conducted by the Tengger Tribe people who live on the slopes of Mount Bromo. Kasada is conducted in order to raise a local healer or shaman. The chosen physician was not an ordinary person but the traditional elders who memorized several incantations. A few days before Kasada festival, tourists have flocked to Mount Bromo. Plates of offerings are thrown by citizens to the crater of Mount Bromo as an offering. The inauguration of the healer or the shaman is done exactly at midnight.
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| Kasada, East Java |