The War Tradition Of Ketupat Bangka Enters The National Tourism Agenda

Ketupat War Traditional Party in Tempilang, West Bangka Regency. (ANTARA)

MENTOK - The West Bangka Regency Government, Bangka Belitung Islands Province encourages a series of traditions of the Ketupat War Traditional Party to be included in the national tourism agenda.

"A few days ago we had initial communication with representatives from the Region V Cultural Preservation Center to encourage the Ketupat War Traditional Party to become a national agenda," said the Sub-Coordinator of History for the Culture Division of the West Bangka Regency Tourism and Culture Office Muhammad Ferhad Irvan as quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, March 15.

According to him, the Ketupat War Traditional Party is a hereditary tradition that has been carried out hundreds of years ago and is still being preserved by people in Tempilang, West Bangka Regency.

The series of Ketupat War Traditional Parties which lasted for several days, held in mid-month Sya'ban, have its own peculiarities compared to traditional party warnings or traditions in other villages in West Bangka Regency.

"Even since 2014, the Ketupat War Customary Party has received recognition from the Government and has been designated as one of the unobjective cultural heritages by the Ministry of Education and Culture," he said.

He explained, in a series of Ketupat War Traditional Party held, the peak of the event was held at Pasirkuning Beach, the Tempilang had five stages carried out, namely Penimbongan, Nganncak, Ketupat War, Ngayok Perae, and Taber Kampong.

In addition to reminding about ancestral history, traditional parties are also a realization of citizens' awareness of the noble values of ancestral heritage in preserving nature.

In its development, the Ketupat War Traditional Party is an opportunity to strengthen the friendship of all residents, families who migrate and people from other areas to come together to Tempilang to make friends and brotherhood.

"In this series of traditional parties, we can find several ritual objects, procedures and community involvement that need to be preserved. The proposal to make the Ketupat War Traditional Party one of the national agendas is also directed there, so that it can be preserved, even developed," he said.