Dates of jousting festival announced

Dates of jousting festival announced

KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: Pasola, an annual festival in
which mounted warriors test their skills against each other, will
take place throughout West Sumba from Feb. 9 to March 13.

On Monday, Antara quoted a local tourist office employee,
Silvester Sirigolo Kahan, as saying that the festival would take
place in a number of villages in West Sumba. The official named
Lamboya, Kodi Besar, Wanukaka, Kodi Bangedo and Gaura.

Pasola is the name given to a sacred rite of the Merapu tribe
in which mounted warriors engage each other in combat with spears
in a colorful spectacle that also includes singing, dancing and
music.

The rite is preceded by a ritualistic search for Nyale, a
local species of sea worm, at night under a full moon. Local
belief holds that food will be plentiful if the catch is good.