Alternate events begin prior to int'l festival

Tarko Sudiarno and Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Magelang, Central Java

Two alternative festivals kicked off on Thursday evening prior to the official opening of the Borobudur International Festival on Saturday.

The Kampong Festival at the Borobudur parking lot was opened with a Jaelangkung performance -- in which visitors including vendors were able to communicate with spirits -- and Jamasan (purification), preceded by a speech from Catholic priest and intellectual Sindhunata.

More interesting events will take place on Sunday including a Petan (looking for hair lice) competition, Ngrumpi (gossiping) competition and Kerokan (rubbing the skin with a coin) and Pijatan (massage) competition.

Some big names attended the opening of a second alternate festival on Thursday evening called Borobudur Agitative at Langgeng Gallery and Studio. They included poet W.S. Rendra and intellectual Emha Ainun Najib.

Another alternate event called the Five Mounts Festival will be launched at Warangan village, at the foot of Mount Merbabu, on June 15.

The Borobudur International Festival is scheduled to be opened by President Megawati Soekarnoputri on Saturday evening. The Rp 4.7 billion (US$573,170) festival is staged to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Borobudur temple's restoration and the Indonesian Heritage Year 2003.

Artists from Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, India and the United States will participate in the event that is themed: Balancing Heritage Conservation and Community Development. Local artists from 35 regencies throughout the country will also participate.

Head of Central Java Culture and Tourism Office Henky Hermantoro said on Friday that the festival was staged to recharge the tourist industry in the country that has been on the decline following the Bali bombings.

"This year is a strategic time for Borobudur temple to revitalize tourism based on conservation and the empowerment of the community," said Henky, who is also secretary of the festival steering committee.

Some events including children's folk songs and traditional games and a painting and handicrafts exhibition preceded the festival opening on Wednesday.

A series of heritage and tourism-related seminars have been held in Semarang and Surakarta and were attended by representatives of the World Tourism Organization and other concerned international bodies.

To support the festival, national air carrier Garuda Indonesia has provided 60 free tickets per day for travel agents in ASEAN countries.

"We have received a great response. Therefore, we are considering holding the festival on a regular basis but only after we evaluate the success of this year's festival," Henky said.