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.