Tourism, Culture and Society

Festivals

Festivals signify celebration and are a held widely all over Indonesia. With festivals held from January to December, this not only attracts locals from the different parts of Indonesia but the tourists as well.

As a tourist visiting Indonesia, one should definitely attend any one of these numerous festivals and events to not only learn about their rich culture but to enjoy and join in the celebration as well. Here are some of the various festivals celebrated: Lomban Festival, Kasada Festival, Bali Arts Festival, Java Jazz Festival and Manado Beach Festival.

Bali’s Festivals

Credits to flickr yayagirls

Galungan
The most important festival celebrated in Bali is the Galungan which lasts for 10 days. Galungan means "When the Dharma is winning." This festival is held every 210 days, annually during a particular full moon to celebrate the dedication of a temple. It is believed that on this day, Balinese gods will descend to earth for the festivities.

The Balinese gods are worshipped by their descendants for 5 days. In addition, “penjor” which are brightly decorated very tall bamboo poles decorated with palm leaves, cakes, fruits and flowers are placed on the entrance of the houses. The most important day of the festival would be the last day, Kuningan which signifies the holiday period is coming to a close.The word Kuningan comes from the word for kuning (yellow), because the turmeric in rice offerings gives them this color.

Melasti, Credits to flickr Pjwar

Melasti,Credits to flickr Andi Sucirta

Melasti
Melasti is a purification festival held the day before Nyepi. This procession is one of the unique Hindu ceremonies where the procession was followed by thousands of Hindus who wear their finest and other accessories in white to indicate the purity. They would walk towards the sea accompanied by the gamelan and pennon (Umbul-Umbul) and other symbols. They would also carry umbrellas, offerings or flowers, and fruit and sacred statues. Thereafter, the Hindu people return to rural to bring back its symbols to each temple

Nyepi
Nyepi is known as the Balinese New year. This marks the beginning of the lunar New Year. On this day, everyone on the island including tourists are expected to remain silent. This means that there would be no activity, no traffic and even the airport is closed. No one is allowed to work or to travel at all. The reason being, evil spirits are expected to leave thinking that the island is uninhabited due to the lack of activities and complete stillness.

Bali Arts festival, Credit to flickr oxidizzy

Bali Arts festival, Credits to flickr memet metz

Bali Arts festival
The Bali arts festival known as Pesta Kesenian Bali (PKB) started 31 years ago and is one of the most famous festivals in the country. The festival first started to accommodate the copyrighted works, art and art aspirations, and appreciation of arts attractions Arts and Culture. This event is created on a low budget has a different theme each year and features a full month of daily performances, handicraft exhibitions and other related cultural activities. Not only is this festival unique to Bali but it enables one to learn more about the local and the village culture of Indonesia. The procession which is the main highlight features the different types of Balinese dances and music. The people are usually dressed in colourful traditional costumes.

The festival which reminds me of Singapore’s chingay procession has evolved over time as well. The 2010 Bali Arts Festival which took place from 12 June to July 12 involved 7 different countries, United States, Japan, Korea, India, Sweden, Belgium and Canada. The festival had featured 180 separate dance, music and arts performances staged by an estimate of 15,000 artists from Bali and other nations.

As quoted by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Jakarta Post, "Let us present the products of our artists and cultural workers to attract tourists so that they could enjoy our various cultures and multi-cultural expressions,".

The event which had became as one of the ways to showcase the art and culture of the island is now a form of attraction to the tourists as well. Hotels, tour agencies and tour guides are expected to encourage tourists to visit the island during this period. The President has also expected the festival to further promote tourism in Bali.

Ngaben, Credits to asmoro

Ngaben: Cremation ceremony
Unlike usual funerals that are solemn, a Balinese cremation is the direct opposite. To outsiders, the noisy, colourful and spectacular cremation ceremony would seem like a festival instead. There are two kinds of cremation, a private one for the richer and those in the higher caste, Brahmans or a public one held every 5 years, of the Balinese calendar, where the year consists of 210 days. Cremation ceremonies are not seen as an event to mourn about but instead as sending off the soul to a better world where the soul prepares for re-incarnation and a newer life. People are usually seen laughing, singing and even dancing, all this is done to celebrate the death of a loved one.

Because the public ceremonies are performed every 5 years, bodies are temporary buried first. Once an auspicious date is chosen, a stage would be built a stage for the nyiramin (bathing the corpse), followed by a lembu (a buffalo shaped sarcophagus where the corpse will be put into and burnt) and wadah (temple structure made of paper, bamboo and light wood).

On the auspicious day, the wadah is used to carry the body the body to the graveyard after the family has paid their last respects. For the creamation ceremony of the former rajah or a high priest up to hundreds of men would be required to carry the wadah. Upon arriving at the graveyard, the body would be transferred to the lembu and a chant would be given by the priest. Lastly, the body would be burnt and the ash would be carried to the sea to be released. The Balinese believes that the deceased will be reincarnated in to the family.

Changes in festivals
The true purpose of performing these festivals are to celebrate religious reasons and are tradition passed down. However since tourism became one of the main sources of living on the island of Bali, these festivals are a form of attraction as well. To boost tourism numbers, these festivals are becoming bigger and better every year to constantly attract the tourists. As quoted by Keith Loveard in the article titled The Paradise Paradox, “ The government constantly urges the people to smile and make their traditional ceremonies extra lavish to please the visitors, so much so that communities have run up hefty debts trying to outdo the neighbours.”