First Nusantara Heritage Procession Held at Borobudur Temple Grounds
Magelang (ANTARA) - Culture Minister Fadli Zon stated that the Nusantara Heritage Procession was held for the first time in the Borobudur Temple area to commemorate World Cultural Heritage Day on 18 April and National Keris Day on 19 April.
“This activity involves various cultural stakeholders, from cultural experts, artists, religious figures, to villagers around the Borobudur area,” he said in Magelang, Central Java, on Friday (17/4) night.
The procession participants walked through the main gate and headed to the Kenari courtyard on the west side of Borobudur Temple after circling the temple once. On that occasion, the Culture Minister also released birds and two ducks.
He stated that such participation demonstrates that Borobudur is a shared cultural heritage, not only for Indonesian society but also for the world.
He explained that the procession serves as a momentum to increase public affection and awareness towards culture as an important part in safeguarding national identity. In addition, this activity is expected to provide tangible benefits to the surrounding community, in line with the principle of utility in the Cultural Advancement Law.
He said that villagers who worked together to prepare various traditional dishes, including tumpeng. Various cultural attributes were also displayed, such as traditional attire, as well as male tumpeng and female tumpeng as part of Nusantara cultural expressions.
According to him, the selection of Borobudur as the procession location is deemed appropriate because the site is one of the iconic symbols of past cultural and civilisational advancement. Hitherto, heritage processions have been more commonly known to be held in palace environments, such as in Solo and Yogyakarta, or in other regions.
“The Nusantara Heritage Procession at Borobudur is the first to be held in that area and received enthusiastic responses from the public and cultural communities,” he said.
He hopes that with this activity, cultural preservation can continue to be enhanced while providing positive impacts on the social and economic life of the community around the Borobudur area.