West Java Provincial Government: Tatar Sunda Celebration Not an Attempt to Replace West Java Province

The West Java Provincial Government has dismissed suggestions that the Tatar Sunda Day celebration, marked by a series of cultural parades carrying the Binokasih crown to various regions, is an effort to replace the name of West Java, as widely speculated on social media.

The Head of the Communication and Information Agency (Diskominfo) of West Java, Mas Adi Komar, stated that the celebration, named Milangkala (anniversary) of Tatar Sunda, purely aims to highlight the history, culture, and identity of the Sundanese people that has developed since the time of the Sunda kingdom.

Adi assured that the name of West Java Province remains valid and unchanged, as it is regulated by law, and the term Tatar Sunda used in the event focuses more on the historical and cultural aspects of the Sundanese people, rather than administrative matters.

“There is nothing leading to that. I think as long as the name of West Java Province still exists in the law. For now, we are focusing on the cultural and territorial history of Tatar Sunda, about the Sunda kingdom and so on. So, it has no relation to the administrative region,” said Adi in a statement on Sunday, May 17, 2026.

According to Adi, Tatar Sunda Day and Milangkala were created to revive awareness of the history and cultural heritage of the Sundanese people that has grown in the West Java region for hundreds of years.

Adi said that the establishment of Tatar Sunda Day and Milangkala had gone through academic historical studies before being finally established through a governor’s decree. “Initially, there was an academic study by academics. The Milangkala Tatar Sunda aims to highlight the history of the Sundanese people, and it has been established through a Governor’s Decree as well, for its determination on May 18,” he said.

Meanwhile, the anniversary of West Java Province, Adi added, will continue as usual every August 19 in accordance with existing regulations and laws.

“There are still provisions that regulate it. So, it can still be said that on August 19, we may wait for further studies for next year,” he said.

Previously, a cultural parade was held in Bandung City on Saturday night as part of the Milangkala Tatar Sunda. Residents crowded along the streets traversed by the cultural parade which featured various Sundanese cultures.