'Bedug' still in demand despite ban on parades
'Bedug' still in demand despite ban on parades
Leony Aurora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Despite the City Administration's ban on impromptu people parades
along the streets for takbiran (a time for Muslims to march and
chant Allahu Akbar, or God is Great) on the eve of Idul Fitri,
people are still eager to join the festivities this year.
This is apparent from the increased sales of bedug (large
drums usually suspended horizontally at mosques to summon Muslims
to prayer) at Pasar Kambing in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta.
Individual buyers have ordered the drums to highlight the end of
the Islamic holy month in their neighborhoods.
"So far, we have sold about 200 bedug," said Fatulah Harun,
nicknamed Feri, the owner of a small workshop, on Tuesday, a week
prior to Idul Fitri. Last year he said the total sales figure was
around 300 drums.
It is a tradition for many Muslims around the world to partake
in the takbiran while pounding big drums and other percussion
instruments on the eve of Idul Fitri, which falls on Nov. 25.
The tradition usually involves huge crowds of mostly young
people cruising around the streets, but the festive occasion has
often turned ugly besides causing a chronic traffic congestion.
This year the city administration will hold a more organized
event at the Islamic Center Complex in Kramat Tunggak, Koja
district in North Jakarta, with President Megawati Soekarnoputri
expected to attend.
"For me, we beat the drums to welcome the great day of Idul
Fitri. It's better to play do it on the streets where you live
instead of going to big streets," said Feri at his workshop.
He normally makes a living by selling goats for meat or pets.
During Ramadhan, he earns extra money by making the drums, which
use the goat hides for the skin of the drum. He employs four
workers to help him during the season.
It takes up to three days to make one bedug, measuring 60
centimeters in diameter and a meter tall. First, the goat skin
needs to be spread out in the sun for one to two days. Then it is
soaked in water for three hours to soften it before it is
stretched on top of a drum.
The fur will be taken off and the naked hide will be painted
black or decorated with Arabic calligraphy or pictures. In the
front yard of Feri's modest workshop, about 20 drums stand
waiting for the paint to dry. Three of them bear the logo of one
of the biggest fast food chains in Indonesia.
It is one of the institutions or companies that Feri also
caters for, besides individual buyers.
"One (political) party has put an order for 150 drums," he
said.
One goat-skin drum is sold at Rp 300,000 (US$35.29) and its
bamboo supporting structure and transportation another Rp
200,000.