The UGM Melukis Sambelia team conducting the Community Service Program (KKN) in East Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, organized a cultural revitalization program titled “Stepping Together, Coloring Creativity, Igniting Culture.”
This series of activities was presented as the Pesona Sambelia Festival, which aimed to preserve local culture and traditions, particularly the culture of the Sasak tribe.
Adinda Atmin, a Melukis Sambelia member, explained that the festival included various cultural activities such as the dulangan parade, traditional peresean performances, gendang beleq performances, and the paleq manuk culture.
These activities were held on Sunday, Aug. 4, at Taman Wisata Air Kramat Suci in Sugian Village and Berandangan Beach in Labuhan Pandan Village.
“This festival is the core of the cultural and traditional promotion efforts of the Sasak tribe,” said Atmin in a statement to reporters on Thursday (Aug. 8).
During the event, the community participated by decorating and carrying dulang (trays) on their heads. Residents also actively accompanied the dulangan parade participants as they made their way to Berandangan Beach.
According to Atmin, through this cultural festival, the UGM Melukis Sambelia team also sought to boost the enthusiasm, knowledge, and skills of Sambelia residents by organizing activities such as a healthy walk, gymnastics, village cooking competitions, Sambelia’s Got Talent, swimming competitions, coloring contests, traditional Lombok clothing fashion shows, MSME exhibitions and bazaars, and interactive KKN project exhibitions.
“Through these activities, the community is provided with a platform to enhance their knowledge and understanding of cultural diversity through art performances, exhibitions, culinary events, and competitions,” she added.
On Sunday (Aug. 11), the Head of the East Lombok Tourism Office, Widayat, appreciated the UGM KKN students’ initiative in organizing the cultural festival, noting that this program is a valuable effort in promoting local culture and traditions.
“It is the responsibility of the local government to continue this event so that the sustainable impact initiated by UGM students can be realized within the Sambelia community,” Widayat stated.
Suarjo, the Head of Pulur Hamlet, Labuhan Pandan Village, expressed a similar sentiment, mentioning that the Dulangan tradition is a heritage from the ancestors that must be preserved to be recognized and continued by future generations.
“Dulangan symbolizes gratitude for the blessings and wealth received. The community depicts this gratitude by offering various agricultural products and traditional foods in each dulang,” he explained.
The Pesona Sambelia Festival successfully attracted community participation in preserving the culture and local potential of the Sambelia area.
With support from local government publications and regional promotion, the increased tourism appeal is expected to impact the local economy in Sambelia positively.
The Pesona Sambelia Festival was attended by the Head of the East Lombok Tourism Office, the Head of the East Lombok Regional Tourism Promotion Board (BPPD), the Head of the East Lombok Association of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, the Resource Partners Institute, the Sambelia District Head, the Heads of the Sugian and Labuhan Pandan Village Consultative Bodies (BPD), and the governments of Sugian, Labuhan Pandan, and Senanggalih Villages.
Author: Bolivia
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Afif