{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1826928,
        "msgid": "house-member-backs-kendals-sea-alms-tradition-as-national-agenda-1782535903",
        "date": "2026-06-27 11:15:53",
        "title": "House Member Backs Kendal's Sea Alms Tradition as National Agenda",
        "author": "",
        "source": "ANTARA_ID",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Social Policy",
        "summary": "A member of Indonesia's House of Representatives has pledged support for elevating the annual Sedekah Laut (Sea Alms) tradition in Kendal, Central Java, to a national event. The ritual, which expresses gratitude for maritime blessings, is seen as a catalyst for strengthening community bonds and boosting local tourism and MSMEs. The village head reported the event already draws thousands of visitors and features cultural performances alongside a local enterprise bazaar.",
        "content": "<p>Member of Commission VI of the Indonesian House of Representatives\n(DPR RI) Firnando Ganinduto has expressed support for making the annual\nSedekah Laut or Nyadran tradition in Gempolsewu Village, Rowosari\nDistrict, Kendal Regency, Central Java, a national agenda. He conveyed\nthis whilst attending the event on Friday (26\/6). According to a\nstatement received in Jakarta on Saturday, he said the Sedekah Laut\ntradition is a form of gratitude for the blessings from Allah SWT. He\nnoted that this very positive tradition rightly deserves to be preserved\nevery year. Furthermore, he stated that the tradition is not merely a\ncustomary ritual but also a momentum to strengthen community\ntogetherness whilst simultaneously driving the tourism sector and local\nmicro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Seeing the significant\npotential, he affirmed his commitment to continue overseeing the\ndevelopment of Sedekah Laut Gempolsewu so it can be elevated to a\nnational-scale cultural agenda. \u2018God willing, we will continue to\nprovide support. This event is very festive and extraordinary, so I\nbelieve it is time for it to be upgraded to a national event. Going\nforward, I will coordinate with the village head to formulate strategic\nsteps so that Sedekah Laut Gempolsewu can move up a class,\u2019 said\nFirnando. Meanwhile, Gempolsewu Village Head Charmadi said the Sedekah\nLaut tradition consistently succeeds in attracting thousands of visitors\neach year. \u2018The community is very enthusiastic. Many visitors\ndeliberately travel from afar, from Temanggung, Wonosobo, and\nsurrounding areas,\u2019 he said. He explained that the series of activities\nfor this tradition not only includes the larung sesaji (sea offering)\nprocession but is also enlivened by various cultural agendas and\ncommunity economic empowerment, such as a boat rowing competition, a\ncoastal cultural parade, traditional art performances featuring wayang\nkulit (shadow puppets), ketoprak (traditional theatre), and barongan\n(lion-like dance), as well as a local MSME bazaar. Through the\norganisation of this festival, the Gempolsewu Village Government hopes\nthat Sedekah Laut can become a national cultural agenda whilst\nstrengthening its position as a premier tourism icon of Kendal Regency.\n\u2018Through this momentum, we want to showcase Gempolsewu Village, which is\nrich in natural potential and the quality of its human resources. We\nhope that in the future, Sedekah Laut will officially become a national\nevent because, however you look at it, this is the face and a proud icon\nof our village,\u2019 he said.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/house-member-backs-kendals-sea-alms-tradition-as-national-agenda-1782535903",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}