The Faculty of Philosophy at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) once again hosted the Karawitan Festival and Nusantara Bazaar.
This was part of the 58th Anniversary celebration of the Faculty of Philosophy, taking place in the faculty’s hallway on Saturday (Jul. 19).
Head of the organizing committee, Dr. Sartini, stated that the idea for holding this festival arose from concerns about the phenomenon of many gamelan sets in communities no longer being widely used.
This is despite the high public interest in karawitan in Yogyakarta.
“We want to promote this gamelan art through festival activities,” Dr. Sartini said.
She mentioned that the number of festival participants performing always increases each year.
This year, approximately 51 karawitan groups participated, comprising 27 groups from UGM and 24 groups from outside UGM.
The festival itself has been held since 2017 and is now in its seventh edition, after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
Besides karawitan performances, the event was also enlivened by a culinary and MSME product bazaar. This involved business actors from Yogyakarta, Bantul, Sleman, and surrounding areas.
The series of activities lasted for two full days, concluding at 10:00 AM WIB.
Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy, Professor Siti Murtiningsih, emphasized that this festival will continue to be promoted as an annual icon of the faculty.
She hopes this activity will not only be a means of entertainment but also a space for education and preservation of Nusantara culture.
“Philosophy and karawitan may seem different at first glance, but both teach contemplation: philosophy awakens the mind, while karawitan awakens the feeling,” Professor Murtiningsih said.
Appreciation also came from the Office of Culture’s Yogyakarta Province initiative. Head of the Office of Culture, Dian Lakshmi Pratiwi, represented by Padmono Anggoro Prasetya, conveyed that the existence of gamelan as a cultural heritage not only has aesthetic value but is also rich in life philosophy.
According to Padmono Anggoro Prasetya, gamelan teaches values such as togetherness, mutual cooperation, and harmonious relationships with nature and fellow beings.
He affirmed that culture is not just a relic of the past but must also be preserved as part of the present.
UGM Vice Rector for Education and Teaching, Professor Wening Udasmoro, symbolically opened the festival by striking a gong.
In her remarks, Professor Udasmoro emphasized that art is a crucial aspect of student character development.
“A high GPA is important, but to succeed in the future, students need to hone their psychological health, social skills, and cultural connections,” Professor Udasmoro stated.
She also appreciated the Faculty of Philosophy for building an educational ecosystem that unifies knowledge and culture.
The festival opened with a Golek Ayun-Ayun Dance performance, accompanied by live singing by internal students of the Faculty of Philosophy.
This dance symbolizes the spirit of a young girl searching for her identity, aligning with the spirit of the festival.
With continuously increasing enthusiasm, this Karawitan Festival is expected to become one of the pillars of cultural preservation in Yogyakarta.
Author: Ika Agustine
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Afifudin Baliya