Traditional Culture

Kampung Naga

Districts and Provinces, Traditional Culture·

Kampung Naga

Kampung Naga is a hamlet located in the area of Neglasari Village, Salawu District, Tasikmalaya Regency, West Java Province, Indonesia.

 

Kampung Naga is a village which is inhabited by a community in a very strong tradition of holding the remainder ancestors. The differences are visible when compared with other communities outside Kampung Naga. The community are living in the framework of an atmosphere in a traditional simplicity and environmental wisdom.

 

Kampung Naga is located not far from the main road that connects with the city of Garut Tasikmalaya. Villages are located in a fertile valley, with the boundaries, in the West Village by Naga forest. The forest is sacred because it is located in the ancestral cemetery. In the south is the rice fields, and in the north and east are surrounded by river Ciwulan, which the source of water comes from Mount Cikuray in Garut. The distance from the town of Tasikmalaya to Kampung Naga is approximately 30 kilometers, while the distance from the city of Garut is 26 kilometers. To reach Kampung Naga from Garut, Tasikmalaya, people must climb down the ladder in the wall (Sunda: sengked) to the bank of the river Ciwulan with the slope about 45 degrees with a distance of approximately 500 meters. Then through the paths into Kampung Naga. The settlement is easier to visit than the most ancient Sundanese village in Baduy.

According to the data from Neglasari village, the surface soil of Kampung Naga hills with those used for land productivity can be fertile. Area of land in Kampung Naga is one of half a hectare, mostly used for housing, yards, ponds, and the rest is used for agriculture rice harvested twice a year.

 

The preservation of the village has been supported by national government beginning during the Suharto presidency, and it has been described as part of the “public face of regulation in Suharto’s Indonesia”.[2] The government provided concrete steps which connected the village to the outside world and battery powered radios as gifts for the village; tour guides were government-trained and reiterated the Naga people’s desire for: self-sufficiency; the continuation of their traditions; and their desire to be model citizens.

Source : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kampung_Naga

Go Indonesia :: Pencak Silat the Indonesian Martial Art You Can Enjoy and Learn

Traditional Culture·

If you martial art lover, pencak silat could be the most attractive thing from Indonesia. This martial art is native to Indonesia in the form of full-body fighting and some with weapon. If you need more information about it, goindonet provides it for you.

Similar with the country that diverse in cultures, pencak silat or people only called it silat is diverse in style. From west to east, you can see different practice and tradition that make every style unique. You may never have enough to enjoy it.

The oldest and famous silat is silek harimau of Minang people in West Sumatra. Hands mimicking tiger claws are the characteristic of this silat style. Numerous weapons are used on this silat. One of them are weapon resembles the claw of tiger they called it kerambit.

The place to learn silat is commonly called padepokan or perguruan silat (school of silat). There, you can watch silat performance as well as learn it for yourself. Apart of physical defense, most schools teach the student to practice silat for emotional wellbeing.

Some notable padepokan you can visit during go Indonesia are Merpati Putih in Java, Bakti Negara in Bali, and Kampung Silat Jampang in Bogor. After you get information about pencak silat, get more complete Indonesia tourism info here

Go Indonesia :: Wayang Show The Heritage Of Indonesia

Traditional Culture·

Wayang show (puppet show) is one of most famous heritage of Indonesia. Mostly played in Java and Bali, wayang is coming with many variations. This goindonet, the portal of complete Indonesia tourism info will explain some of them for you.

Wayang kulit is the most popular and received acknowledgment from UNESCO as Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. The puppet is made from leather (kulit means leather) and played in the setting of shadow puppet show. Wayang kulit is widely performed in Central Java, Bali, and Lombok with different characteristics on each region.

In West Java, you can found wayang golek. The puppet is made from wood with rods on the hands of the doll to play it. The most popular character in wayang golek is cepot.

In Eastern Java, there is wayang klitik. It is made of wood but similar with the form of wayang kulit. This wayang is also played in shadow puppet setting.

Wayang wong is another Javanese type of Wayang. However, this is not a puppet show because it is actually man theatrical performance. Wong is Javanese word for human.

Wayang puppets are good for souvenir in the time you go Indonesia. You can find the puppets on various merchandise stores in the city where you enjoy wayang show.

Go Indonesia :: Extravagant Cultural Festivals In Indonesia

Traditional Culture·

Indonesia is a country with cultural diversity spreading across the archipelago. From traditional cloths to art performances, every region has unique style and tradition. From many, cultural festivals become the inviting pieces that escalate curiosity. Here are some extravagant festivals that worth to attend.

  • Pacu jawi of West Sumatra is the trilling cow race held at the end of rice harvest season as a celebration and expression of gratitude to God for the yields.
  • pacu-jawi

 

  • This cow race is commonly held at Tanah Datar Regency and Limapuluh Kota Regency. Traditional cow race is actually common in several parts of Indonesia. In Bali, the tradition is called makepung while Madura has karapan sapi competition. What makes pacu jawi different is the dramatic setting of muddy rice field track to make the attraction very exciting to watch.
  • Grebeg mulud of Yogyakarta is yearly tradition of Yogyakarta Sultanate to celebrate the birth of Prophet Muhammad at the 12th day of Mulud in Javanese Calendar.
  • grebeg-mulud-of-yogyakartagrebeg-mulud-of-yogyakarta

 

  • This is actually the main event of Sekaten, a weeklong festival with series of ritual and fair at the Northern Square of Yogyakarta. The main star of grebeg mulud is gunungan, a mountain model made from various vegetables, fruits, sweets, and more foods to symbolize prosperity. Gunungan will be carried by Sultanate guards through several ritual processions that ended at the square where people are free to get the foods. The most exciting part of grebeg is when the people fight over the foods. People will do anything to get even a small food that most of the people believe it as sacred object. Grebeg tradition is also held by Surakarta Sultanate and Demak regularly.
  • Pasola of Sumba is traditional bloody game held as a ritual before rice planting season to increase land fertility.

pasola-of-sumba

  • The game is two groups of people riding horse throwing wooden spears to the opponent. The objective is to make the spear hit bare flesh of the player until the blood spilled to the ground. For people of Sumba, the spilled blood is meant to fertilize the land. Before pasola game, people of Sumba commonly go to the beach to pray and sacrifice a black cock to get the sign whether pasola game should be held or not. They will get the answer from the look of the cock’s heart. The rite will continue by collecting colorful sea worm and the ultimate pasola game.

There are much more cultural festivals in Indonesia. Many festivals are held based on lunar (Islamic) calendar and regional calendar such as Javanese calendar and Balinese calendar so tourist need to check the date for specific year.

Go Indonesia :: Sweet Berry, The Largest Strawberry Garden In West Java

Districts and Provinces, Event, Traditional Culture·

 

Sweet berry is a large strawberry garden located in Puncak,

Bogor, and West Java. Like its name, this is a place where organic

strawberries are grown. The visitors have an opportunity to harvest the

strawberries and eat them. So, it offers a different way of buying

strawberries where the buyers now can take their own strawberries

directly from the trees. It will guarantee that you can get only fresh

and nice taste strawberries.goindonet, go indonesia, complete indonesia

tourism info

There are some holiday packages offered in this place to allow the

visitors choose what they want to do in this agro

tourism destination. The cheapest

vacation package includes the ticket, drinking fresh strawberry

juice, harvesting 0.25 strawberries and 0.5 kilograms of vegetables your

own. The more expensive the package, the more services that you will get.

The second package includes the same services as the first one with a

lunch box and strawberry seeds as the extras. The third option is also

more expensive, but it includes more services, which are fishing and

grilling the fish. You will get more packages from the place by choosing

the more expensive ones, the fourth and the fifth package. So, choose

your package and enjoy your good time harvesting the strawberries in

Sweet berry. go indonesia sweet berry, sweet berry

indonesia

Go Indonesia :: Types Of Indonesian Batik Motif

Traditional Culture·

 

Indonesian batik has been officially designated by UNESCO since 2009 as a Masterpiece of Oral and Heritage of Humanity. The declaration took place on October 2nd, making this date get known as National Batik Day. If you go Indonesia, you should not miss visiting a batik store or factory.

Some Popular Patterns of Indonesian Batik

Batik is more than just traditional clothing design. There is actually noble philosophy on each of Indonesian Batik pattern, usually reflecting the locals’ wisdom. It is what most people have no idea about. Goindonet site has a list of popular patterns of batik, including:

  • Udan Riris – We have to own fortitude to face life and its problems as the human being.
  • Parangkusuma – Equated with the scent of kusuma (flower), life must be based on struggle and efforts to achieve the fragrances of physical and spiritual.
  • Parang Rusak – It shows victory in the war against the evil mind, shown by how people have good temper and behave nicely.
  • Truntum – Created by Kanjeng Ratu Beruk, the wife of Sunan Pakubowono III of Surakarta, in the late of 18th century, the motifs was meant to bring back her husband’s love and enliven their intimacy again.

Batik motifs vary from one region to another. You can learn various Indonesian batik patterns and the meaning lies behind each of them from the complete Indonesia tourism info.

Go Indonesia :: Popular Traditional Folk Dances Of Kulon Progo

Traditional Culture·

 

Traditional folk dances are one of main art attractions to see when you visit Kulon Progo, a regency in Yogyakarta Special Region. Known as the Jewel of Java, this regency is rich of trade, tourism and investment resources. Visitors won’t only get tempted with the beauty of its nature, but are also invited to witness the diversity of its local culture, including the folk dances.

 

                                                                                    kulonprogo


Kulon Progo’s Famous Traditional Folk Dances

When you are in go Indonesia plan, make sure to take a trip to explore Yogyakarta. It is a good idea to head to the western area to visit Kulon Progo and you may have the chance to view one or all of the following traditional folk dances:

  • Angguk Dance – Performed in groups, the dancers delivers the story of Umarmoyo-Umarmadi and Wong Agung Jayengrono in Ambiyo Note. The dancers wear costumes that look like Dutch soldiers’ dress with various attributes
  • .
  • Jathilan Dance- Performed in groups, the dancers play different carachters including wewe, penthul, barongan, gendruwo and bejer. Ndadi (trance / in trance) is one of its main highlights.
  • Incling Dance – Performed in groups, the dancers brings the Panji story or a documentary film about WS Rendra, a dramatist and poet.

Goindonet is the trusted source of complete Indonesia tourism info. Visit the site to find out more about the traditional folk dances from other regions of the country.

Go Indonesia :: The Sacred and Elegant of Melinting Dance from Lampung

Traditional Culture·

 

There are many examples of cultural richness in Indonesia. Traditional dance is one of them; where in each and every province in Indonesia has several traditional dances that represent the beauty of the local culture. The Indonesian archipelago Lampung dance is one small example of that. Lampung, a province that located in Sumatra Island has several traditional dances and one of the most popular one is Melinting dance.

The name of Melinting Dance comes from the maker of this dance, Queen Melinting. It was said that Queen Melinting who ruled the area in the 16 century created this sacred and beautiful dance. At first, this dance was only performed inside the royal palace, but since 1958, the dance has been modified where there are couple of changes was made into the function, clothes and accessories that the dancer wear.goindonet, go indonesia, complete indonesia tourism info

Right now this sacred dance was performed to welcome honor guest that come to Lampung. People who come to Lampung and have the chance to enjoy this Indonesian archipelago Lampung dance will enjoy elegant movement of the dance that was played by women and man. In the same time, people also can enjoy the sound from the traditional instrumental music that follows this dance.

Go Indonesia :: Enjoy The Banyuwangi Yearly Festival

Districts and Provinces, Event, Traditional Culture·

 

There are all kinds of festival that people can enjoy in

Banyuwangi yearly festival (B-Fest). The B-Fest itself

is a yearly event that was held by the Banyuwangi local government. This

yearly event was held for the very first time in 2012 and the event

continues up until this day. This yearly event was held to celebrate

Banyuwangi anniversary day that fall at 18 December. The B-Fest itself

taking places from October until December where there will be festival of

all kinds that everyone can enjoy from young to old.

Banyuwangi Yearly Festival List

Like it has said before, there are all sort of festival that will be

held in this Banyuwangi Yearly Festival. The number of

festival that was held is increasing year after year, which allows people

to get something more to enjoy. The event not only manage to attract the

attention from local people (Indonesian people), but also from

international tourist. It makes this yearly event as one of the biggest

tourist attraction that has successfully introduced Banyuwangi as a

tourist destination city in Indonesia.goindonet, go indonesia, complete

indonesia tourism info

In 2015 there are more than 20 festivals that will be held in this

Banyuwangi yearly festival and the festivals are

  • Clean toilet festival
  • House renovation festival
  • “Sego Tempong” culinary festival
  • Local fruit festival
  • Wayang Kulit (Javanese shadow puppet) festival
  • Clean River festival
  • Children traditional toy festival
  • Percussion and Larlare Orchestra festival
  • Banyuwangi Kite festival
  • Santri festival
  • National Barongan festival
  • Banyuwangi Beach Jazz festival
  • Gandrung Sewu festival
  • Banyuwangi plantation festival
  • Banyuwangi batik festival
  • Banyuwangi Ethno Carnival
  • Ngopi Sepuluh Ewu Festival
  • Kuwung Festival
  • Anak Yatim (fatherless children) festival
  • International surfing competition, and there are much more

Each and every year, there is something new that presented in this

event. Way back then in 2012, there is only 10 events that was held in

this yearly event, but in 2015 the number has increased up to 36 events.

The events itself cover everything about Banyuwangi from its sports

event, its natural beauty that was worth as a popular tourist

destination, its local art and everything else.

Among all those events, there are several events that were considered

as the original part of this event.  Events such as International

Tour de Banyuwangi Ijen, Banyuwangi Batik Festival and Beach Jazz

Festival are some of them. Those events are the original part of this

yearly event that has been held since the very beginning in 2012.

Different event in this Banyuwangi Yearly Festival

has different theme. Take for example the Clean Toilet Festival. The main

purpose of this festival is to have clean toilet in every public places

in Banyuwangi. It means, that every public places such as school, Islamic

boarding school, hotel, offices, and other places should have clean

toilet. A clean toilet may sound simple, but this is critical for

people’s health and the local government of Banyuwangi wants to

increase people attention on this simple hygiene matter.

Then there is Beach Jazz Festival. Some people may wonder why do local

event like this has to include jazz, which is not a traditional music

after all and not many people who even listen to this kind of genre? But

here is the thing; Jazz has managed to level itself up to the spotlight.

Jazz also manage to walk together, hand in hand with all kind of

traditional music, including Banyuwangi traditional music and art, no

matter where they are. Consider Jazz as universal language that can help

to bring out the voice of Banyuwangi traditional art to rest of Indonesia

and also to the whole world. That is the reason why Jazz music was

included in this event up until this day.

The festival was held not only to promote the culture and everything

else about Banyuwangi to the rest of the world, but is also held to push

the society in this city to maximize the potency that they have. There

are plenty of art and culture in Banyuwangi. Together, the government and

the society will be able to bring Banyuwangi into a much better city.

Don’t forget to come and enjoy the culture diversity that you can

enjoy only at the Banyuwangi yearly festival and get the

enjoyment of seeing and experiencing something new.

Go Indonesian :: Some of Popular Traditional Weapons Indonesian Archipelago

Traditional Culture·

 

There are many traditional weapons Indonesian

archipelago which have been used by tribes since the past time.

Two actual uses of those weapons were to hunt and self-defense. Today,

people just use them when they are going to have gardening activities or

entering a forest area. However, there are some who have strong belief to

the magic or mystical value inside of those traditional weapons. It is

due to the previous tribal tradition which involved supernatural power in

the making of the tools.goindonet, go indonesia, complete

indonesia tourism info

Each ethnic in Indonesia seem having their own special weapon.

Therefore, you will find many traditional weapons Indonesian

archipelago. Here are some of them:

  • Rencong (reuncong)

This sharp weapon comes from Aceh with shape like the letter

“L”. It is consider as dagger type with a knife or sword. The

length of rencong blade can be 10 to 50 cm. the dagger is put in the

sheath that is usually made from horn, wood, ivory or sometimes metal

like silver or gold.

  • Sumpit (sipet)

It is one of traditional weapons Indonesian

archipelago with origins from Kalimantan. It may have the

function like the weapon used by a sniper since it is known as a secret

weapon to murder the enemy or hunted animal secretly. Sumpit is blown

away using a long chopstick with the shot accuracy is able to reach 200

meters. This weapon itself is made from natural ingredients which are

beneficial to keep the nature unaffected.

  • Keris

If you have ever visited Yogyakarta or Central

Java, you can find this type of weapon sold as merchandise. However, many

still consider that keris contains of mystical value. Therefore, people

with the traditional faith like this usually hold a ceremony to bath the

keris at certain dates based on Javanese calendar. Another thing that

makes this weapon unique is its shape, which looks like a snake.

  • Badik

It is a typical weapon commonly used by people in Makassar, Mandar and

Bugis. It has short size and is easy to carry.

  • Celurit

Originally from Madura, celurit is not only used as one of

traditional weapons Indonesian archipelago. It is even

mostly known as agricultural tool. It is made with the shape resembling a

crescent moon. During the process of making celurit, Madurese may insert

a kind of supernatural creature called khodam into the weapon.

If you travel around the country from Sabang to Merauke, each place

you visit has its own uniqueness and ethnic heritages. Despite of the

mystical value trusted by the local people, the traditional

weapons Indonesian archipelago which are different from one

place to another are worth as commercially valued collections.