`Cap Go Meh' festivities celebrated openly and freely in Jakarta<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Five years ago,Cap Go Meh, the end of the Chinese Lunar New Year
\nfestivities, could only be celebrated in secret as the regime of
\nthen-president Soeharto had banned all Chinese cultural
\nactivities.<\/p>\n
Now, the joy of the festivities has become public as many
\npeople from different cultural and religious groups participate
\nin the festivities.<\/p>\n
A real example was Sunday's festival at the Amurva Bhumi
\nvihara (Chinese temple), also known as Hok Tek Kiong in Chinese,
\nwhich is located in the heart of Jakarta's Chinatown in East
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
It was difficult to claim the celebration as a Chinese fiesta
\nalone given that participants came from various ethnic and
\nreligious groups.<\/p>\n
Chinese dances, including liong (dragon dance) and barongsai
\n(lion dance) were paraded alongside the reog dance of Ponorogo
\n(East Java), the ondel-ondel dance of Jakarta, while Muslims
\nchanted Koran verses to the beats of their rebana percussion
\nmusic instruments.<\/p>\n
The long line of revelers led by a group of people carrying an
\nIndonesian flag and a heavy police presence around the busy roads
\nof Chinatown turned the festivity into a sea of color.<\/p>\n
Deafening beats from Chinese drums and cymbals coupled with
\nmusic from East Java's gamelan orchestra; and Arabic chanting,
\nproduced a beautiful blend of sounds.<\/p>\n
"The celebration is more elaborate this year with more
\nparticipants from different groups across Jakarta ... It is a
\npeople's party," event committee member Ie iep, 50, told The
\nJakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Ie said traditional music and dance groups from Jonggol in
\nBogor, Bekasi, and other areas in Jakarta, also took part in the
\ncelebrations.<\/p>\n
The celebration was also enlivened by gotong toapekong, a
\nprocession in which an effigy of gods, was carried from the
\nsmaller Dharma Kumala vihara.<\/p>\n
Many Chinese revelers, including elderly women and children,
\nrushed to shoulder the effigy which sometime swayed and jolted
\nhorrendously as it was believed that a god spirit was entering
\nthe effigy.<\/p>\n
By shouldering a toapekong, many Chinese revelers believe that
\nthey will obtain blessings and benefits from the gods.<\/p>\n
Similarly, thousands of enthusiasts in downtown Jakarta
\nspilled over onto the narrow Jl. Kemenangan IV in Kota, West
\nJakarta which connects the 500-year-old Dharma Djaja Toasebio
\nvihara, known as one of the oldest Chinese temples here, to the
\nlarger Darma Bhakti vihara a few hundred meters away.<\/p>\n
Chinese temples became the center of the attractions with
\nnumerous performances, including a performance of kung fu Chinese
\nmartial arts at the Darma Bhakti vihara.<\/p>\n
The most horrifying performance was when the Chinese revelers
\ncarried a man who was in a trance, with both cheeks pierced by an
\niron wire, and placed him in front of an effigy of gods.<\/p>\n
Still in a trance, he started scratching his back with a sharp
\nsword, accompanied by hummed Chinese songs from their entourage.
\nSurprisingly, no blood was seen running out from the pierced and
\nscratched wounds.<\/p>\n
Adorned with red Chinese lanterns, many vihara were also
\npervaded by the fragrance of burning incense.<\/p>\n
Many Chinese burn incense and pray in front of the effigies of
\nthe gods to ask for blessings and prosperity, while putting their
\noffering on altars.<\/p>\n
In most cases, Chinese people bring eggs, fruits, pork and
\nflowers as offerings to gods.<\/p>\n
"I just pray to gods for the safety of my family and peace for
\nall people in this year," said Junny Hwa, 25. He had just prayed
\nin front of the effigy of Pe Hio Ciong Kun (white tiger-faced
\nheavenly god) at Darma Bhakti vihara.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/cap-go-meh-festivities-celebrated-openly-and-freely-in-jakarta-1447893297",
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