North Jakarta City Government aims to preserve bedug drum-playing tradition

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The North Jakarta City Government is striving to preserve the tradition of playing the bedug drum as a cultural heritage through the 1447 Hijri Ramadan Festival. “This festival aims to preserve the tradition of playing the bedug as a cultural heritage,” said North Jakarta City Secretary Iyan Sopian Hadi in Jakarta on Tuesday. In addition, this activity can also foster a love for local arts and culture and strengthen religious values and community spirit. Iyan explained that the Bedug Festival is part of the tradition of the Muslim community that has been going on for hundreds of years and has strong historical and spiritual significance. This Bedug Festival is part of the community’s tradition in welcoming the holy month of Ramadan, and the tradition of playing the bedug has existed for hundreds of years, even used by religious leaders as a means of communication to the community before the advent of loudspeakers. He hopes that this festival can be a space for the community to continue to preserve and develop traditional arts and culture in North Jakarta. “Hopefully, this festival can strengthen the spirit of togetherness and make North Jakarta proud at the provincial level,” he said. Meanwhile, the Head of the North Jakarta Culture Sub-Department, Dya Perwita Kusuma, said that this festival is also a means of fostering and developing the creativity of the community, especially young people, in the field of traditional arts and culture. According to him, the Bedug Festival aims to preserve cultural traditions, foster a love for local arts, strengthen religious values, and provide educational entertainment for the community. He added that the three best groups, namely the first, second, and third place winners, will represent North Jakarta at the DKI Jakarta Provincial Bedug Festival, which is planned to take place on March 7, 2026, at Lapangan Banteng, Central Jakarta. “The North Jakarta City Bedug Festival is a real step taken by the government in preserving local culture while also providing a space for the community to welcome Ramadan with enthusiasm, togetherness, and creativity,” he said. The North Jakarta City Bedug Festival 2026, held in the West Plaza of the North Jakarta City Hall, was attended by representatives from 31 villages in North Jakarta. Copyright © ANTARA 2026 It is strictly prohibited to take content, crawl or automatically index for AI on this website without written permission from the ANTARA News Agency.