Portuguese patrimony lives on in Larantuka

Portuguese patrimony lives on in Larantuka

By Yakob J. Herin

LARANTUKA, Flores (JP): As the sun sets in the west and waves
batter the coastline, cathedral bells shatter the early evening
languor. Just a few hundred meters away, the ascending roar of
drums alerts local Moslems to evening prayer.

Religious harmony reigns in the city known as Renha Rosari
(the Virgin Mary), which was already famed to the outside world
in the 15th century and continues to draw tourists today. It is
located on a 35-kilometer stretch of coast on the island of
Flores and is the principal city of East Flores regency.

The Ile Mandiri mountain forms an imposing backdrop, and the
trio of islands called Solor, Adonaro and Lembata are its
gateway.

The city is dotted with statues and chapels. Nearly all ethnic
groups have their individual chapel, replete with a Virgin Mary
statue and sacred objects.

There is also a church owned by the conferia, an organization
of married women. On Saturday morning the women pray in old
Portuguese and visitors can listen to liturgies in the language,
a practice dating back centuries.

Mysteries abound in the town of 50,000. The local people are
kind and friendly, simple, social and devout. They have great
respect for the traditions handed down by their ancestors.

This is integrated with the variety of cultures and religions.
There is harmony in religious life and cooperation between
Catholics and Moslems is very good, especially at the village
level. They help each other in building their places of worship
and invite each other to nearly every religious celebration. The
rare disputes between the groups are usually due to external
meddling.

Disturbance of harmony is tantamount to insulting the
community elders who represents custom and tradition. This is the
principle of life in Larantuka and in East Flores in general.

Larantuka is a symbol of the past and its inhabitants belong
to different ethnic groups who have sailed into its waters over
the centuries. Ancient Roman, Portuguese, Malay and Lamaholot
cultures integrated to form today's unique community.

East Flores inhabitants are for the greater part of Porto-
Malay origin and descended from immigrants from India in 1000
B.C. Then came the Deutro-Malay race about 300 B.C. who
introduced the population to iron utensils and the practice of
irrigation.

The population is the result of a mixture of Malay,
Melanesian, Negrito and some Polynesian elements. In Larantuka
there are people of Portuguese and Chinese ancestry, living in
cities and earning their livelihood as merchants.

All aspects of life are regulated collectively based on
custom. Inhabitants live on the basis of customary law and
religious practice. This is for the sake of one's own safety and
as a basis of faith for the security of the people coming from
the same village (spiritual, psychological and economic unity).

The Virgin Mary is the patroness of Larantuka. Vestiges of
Christian cultural traditions of the Portuguese dating back to
the 15the century are found in this city, especially in
celebrations around Easter.

The Corpus Cristo procession at the end of May is similar to
the Good Friday procession. Good Friday is the most important
religious celebration for Catholics. The procession is a
reenactment of accompanying the body of Christ the Redeemer.

The statue of the Virgin Mary is carried to symbolize her
accompanying the body of her son Jesus to the grave after he was
taken off the cross. Her downcast face is a portrait of mourning.
She is resigned to give up her son Jesus Christ for the sake of
God's design.

The first Good Friday procession took place in Larantuka on
March 12, 1565. It was held by the local population and led by
Dominican priests. The procession was to celebrate a Portuguese
victory over the attacks launched by the Javanese in Solor. Since
then, priests and residents have held the processions every few
year. After the Portuguese relinquished the Solor islands to
Dutch traders in 1641, the Good Friday procession became an
annual event.

On November 19, 1886 the Reinha Rosari church (now called the
Cathedral) was consecrated. In 1887 Larantuka was called the
Reinha Rosari city. All responsibilities regarding the wealth of
the church left by the Portuguese was fully handed over to the
inhabitants of Larantuka.

Tourism

The government is endeavoring to attract tourists to East
Flores province. Larantuka will be preserved because it is a
center of development and a gathering place of ancient Roman,
Portuguese, Malay and Lamaholot cultures, East Flores regent
Hengky Mukin told The Jakarta Post in Larantuka last June.

He said the Good Friday celebration would be maintained and
promoted as an asset for the tourism industry in Indonesia. The
regional government has started promotion of this event and other
East Flores sites through the media and Internet.

Participants in the Good Friday procession numbered 20,000 in
1995, 30,000 in 1996 and 35,000 this year. In 1998, some 50,000
visitors are expected.

Hotel accommodation is still lacking, and domestic and foreign
tourists for the procession outnumber available rooms. The
government is planning to require houseowners to accommodate two
or three visitors in the next few years if hotels are full.

Larantuka can be reached by flying the Denpasar-Kupang-
Maumere route and continuing on by land. There is a bi-weekly
flight from Darwin to Kupang, and two flights daily between
Kupang and Maumere.

The Kupang-Larantuka ferry and the Ende-Kupang ferry make two
trips a week. MV Tatamailau and MV Sirimau travel from Larantuka
to Kupang every two weeks. Facilities available in the town
include a post office, hospital, police station, bank, hotel,
restaurants and travel agency.