Preserving the Cultures of Lombok
Lombok is an island that has diverse interesting culture. From delicious cuisines to uncommon household practices, the island natives (the Sasak tribe in particular) have preserved cultures dating to decades — or even centuries — back. These cultures have played roles in shaping the Lombok to the one we know today. The fact that the cultures have been a part of the Lombok heritage for so long encourages many to strongly believe in preserving the unique cultures of the island.
— Cleaning Houses with Cow or Buffalo Dung
In Sade village, Sasak tribe, Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, there is a unique tradition that is still preserved up until today. Although it sounds shocking (and dirty), the tradition of mopping the floors and walls of the house using cow dung or buffalo is in fact still practiced by the infamous Sasak tribe.
The tradition is commonly practiced by married women of the Sasak tribe and is regularly done once a month.
They believe this method makes their floors more rough, shiny and prevents the whole house from being surrounded by flies or mosquitoes. Besides being used to mop the floor, cow dung and buffalo are also used to clean the walls of the house. This method is believed to keep the house warm when the rainy season comes and vice versa automatically becomes cool and cold when the dry season comes ahead.
— Ayam Taliwang
Ayam Taliwang is a grilled chicken menu made from young native chicken with dried red chili seasoning, onion, garlic, tomatoes, fried shrimp paste, kencur, brown sugar, salt, and other seasonings. Ayam Taliwang is usually served with steamed rice, plecing kangkung, sprinkles of fried onions, and fried beans.
It is believed that the appearance of this cuisine was the first time during the war between the Selaparang kingdom and the Karangasem kingdom of Bali. At that time troops from the Taliwang kingdom were brought to Lombok to help the Selaparang kingdom make peace with the Karangasem kingdom. The cooks of the Taliwang kingdom provided dishes such as Ayam Taliwang. Over time, troops from the Taliwang and Lombok Sasak tribes mingled with each other, causing emerging cultures, both in socialization and food processing which were mutually adjusted between the Taliwang troops and the native people of Lombok.
Ayam Taliwang is a well-known cuisine originating from Lombok and is one of the closest traditions identified to the island. It has quite a unique taste, making it different from other traditional Indonesian chicken-based cuisines.
It also plays a significant role in the cultures of the Lombok Sasak tribe as mentioned in the description (the interaction between the troops from Taliwang and Sasak, the natives of Lombok), therefore the cuisine should be preserved until ages to come.
— Bau Nyale Festival
Bau Nyale is a hereditary tradition. In this tradition, thousands of people catch sea worms along the coast of Lombok Island. These sea worms are known as nyale, which is believed to be the incarnation of Princess Mandalika. Mandalika is known as a beautiful princess who chose to throw herself into the high seas, avoiding war between princes who fought over her.
The festival itself takes place every year in the tenth month of the lunar Sasak calendar. It is celebrated in either February or March each year, based on the pre-modern luni-solar calendar.
During the Bau Nyale season, Lombok becomes a tourist attraction, with the large crowd that would like to experience the festival. That helps improve the local economy in Lombok. With the increasing amount of tourists during the festival season, local businesses’ sales and profits will skyrocket compared to other times of the year. Other than that, Bau Nyale can also become an occasion that helps strengthen the bond between the local community(ies).
How can it strengthen the bond between the locals, you may ask. Well, the nyale itself can be cooked into various dishes. After catching the nyale, locals tend to cook it on the beach, before enjoying it with their loved ones and socializing with many others doing the same.
These are just some of the many interesting and unique cultures that Lombok treasures. With the efforts of the locals (and many others) to preserve the beautiful heritage of the island, the cultures have never died down. With the ’10 New Balis’ project, Lombok has gained more attention from the rest of the world for the breathtaking beaches and natural views. The cultures are slowly being introduced to others, making the interest and curiosity of people to the island grow. The tourism on the island has also increased with the help of the project.
Yes, Lombok has gained attention, but we still should put on efforts on preserving the cultures of the island. We can’t risk losing the diverse heritage of the beautiful island.
