Essay competition held on 'Sekaten'

YOGYAKARTA: In a bid to help the local government to redesign the currently much-maligned Sekaten night market, Gadjah Mada University's Center for Tourism Studies is holding an essay- writing competition.

In a statement on Thursday the center said the competition was open to all and was free to enter.

"The competition is aimed at selecting constructive ideas on how the Sekaten night market should be run while maintaining its cultural, social, and economic identity," the statement said.

Interested participants should send an original essay written on between seven and eight pages of A4 paper to the organizing committee by April 29 at the latest.

The three best essays would be announced on May 7. The organizing committee had prepared prizes of Rp 1,000,000, Rp 750,000, and Rp 500,000 respectively for the first to third prize-getters, the statement said.

The winning essays would be published in a prominent local newspaper for the wider community to read.

For the last two years, the Sekaten night market, held in accordance with the annual Sekaten celebration commemorating Prophet Muhammad's birthday, has been given a new form that makes it appear more up-to-date, yet business-oriented.

The Jogja Expo Sekaten (JES) event, however, has met a flood of criticism from most of the community, which has rejected the new concepts. -- JP