Bubus Tradition in East Lombok Officially Designated as Intangible Cultural Heritage

The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia has officially designated the Bubus Mangkung tradition—a form of traditional medicine from Jerowaru Village, East Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara—as an intangible cultural heritage.

The Head of the East Lombok Education and Culture Office, Nurul Wathoni, expressed appreciation to the practitioners of Bubus for their efforts in preserving Sasak cultural heritage. He detailed that the proposal process was extensive, involving digital submissions, document verification, factual verification by a central team, and the production of documentary videos tracking the tradition’s history.

“Today, we witness the result in the form of official recognition from the central government. Moving forward, it is our collective responsibility to continue nurturing and preserving it,” Wathoni stated. He added that the local government has proposed several other Sasak cultural heritages for recognition, including Blanjakan Masbagik, Temerodok Sakra, and Sapit Weaving. While these have undergone factual verification by the Ministry of Culture, the final results are still pending.

Wathoni emphasised that the local government continues to encourage all community members involved in maintaining ancestral traditions to seek official recognition. He also expressed hope that both district and provincial governments would provide budgetary support for cultural preservation programmes, particularly for those actively working to maintain these noble heritages.

Abdul Kholiq, a practitioner of the tradition, expressed gratitude for the local government’s support in overseeing the proposal and verification process. However, he called for greater attention to be paid to practitioners and guardians of cultural traditions to prevent them from disappearing due to a lack of government support. The Bubus tradition is a traditional healing practice believed by the community to be an effective means of treating illnesses, rooted in both spiritual belief and cultural factors.