A place for everyone at Umbul-umbul Festival
A place for everyone at Umbul-umbul Festival
Wahyoe Boediwardhana, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali
The upcoming Umbul-umbul Festival draws from a key concept in Bali, the nawa sanga, whereby different Hindu deities are positioned at each of the eight principal cardinal points, and one in the center.
Each supreme being represents a different color, character, sound or weapon.
The four-day festival of umbul-umbul (decorative flags), which opens here on Friday, was organized by chairman of the Arti Foundation Kadek Suardana and Thomas Bertschi of the Rainbow Project, both in Switzerland.
"Nawa Sanga is a representation of the cosmos in many dimensions. In layman's terms, the manifestation of the gods in many colors reminds us that all men have a place on earth," said Kadek.
The festival, which is themed Uniting the Colors of the World, aims to encourage intercultural communication, on Bali and internationally.
Thomas has brought to the festival 18 umbul-umbul, which were painted and printed by children and artists from around the world. "The umbul-umbul toured the globe and are a way of uniting people and their projects," said Bertschi on Monday.
In 1989, Bertschi collected 20 umbul-umbul of the colors of the rainbow for an international event called the Planetary Partnership in Switzerland.
Suardana and Bertschi met in 1994, when they thought of holding an umbul-umbul event on Bali, mainly because of its multi-ethnic population.
"This is a chance for us to think as one, with a view to the future of the planet," he said.
About 600 people from 49 countries and all walks of life have confirmed their participation in the event.
The festival will feature an exhibition, a competition and performances of poetry and dance, among other things.
There will be three categories in the umbul-umbul competition: for the public, high school students and junior high school students. Each team will comprise three people, who will work together to make a five-and-a-half-meter-long umbul-umbul. Contestants do not need to bring their own materials as they will be provided by the organizers.
A number of eight-meter-long umbul-umbul, created by artists from other countries -- including the United States, Japan, Nepal, Italy, and Switzerland -- will be exhibited during the festival, as well as the work of Balinese artists. There is often a picture of a snake-dragon on an umbul-umbul. The snake-dragon god is believed to be the guardian of mother earth, and the Balinese include its image in processions to remind people of the god's presence -- as a protector and symbol of great strength.
Three dimensional umbul-umbul will also be included in the festival, with the longest one -- about 14 meters -- from Jakarta.
"Regardless of one's ethnicity, religion, nationality or political beliefs, the festival is a chance for us to find new meaning in life, and share it with others, so that there will be love, peace and humanity in the world," Bertschi said.
The festival is to be inaugurated by Denpasar Mayor AA Ngurah Puspayoga. The night program of the festival, which will be held on Puputan Badung field in Denpasar, includes an ethnic drum show -- brought to Bali by the Arti Foundation -- and dance performances Bayu Perempuan by Carmencita Palermo from Italy and Is There Another Freedom by Jane Chen.
On the second day, Erika and Sura from Japan will perform in modern dance Touch, while Salil Kanika from Nepal will feature in an ethnic music show called Sarangi. All in all, 68 foreign artists will perform during the festival.
On the third day, hundreds of umbul-umbul will be carried south to Sanur beach, about five kilometers away from Puputan Badung. The Bali governor will lead the procession, followed by two dance groups.
The umbul-umbul will be displayed along Sanur beach.
Suardana said the organizers chose Sanur for the venue as the government overlooks it.
"People are on the move to develop Nusa Dua and Kuta, while Sanur is ignored. In fact, people from around the world first knew Bali because of Sanur beach. Therefore, we want to remind the people of its qualities," Suardana said.
On the last day of the festival, Sanur customary village will hold a creative kite competition. People can also watch Gong Kebyar and Barong Telek traditional dances.
Both Suardana and Bertschi hope the colorful umbul-umbul, which symbolize hope, will encourage locals to stay true to their culture, while remembering that, regardless of the circumstances, no person is superior to another.