Culture and Festivals in Lombok: The Unique and the Mystical

Lombok is a picturesque island in Indonesia very near the more popular island of Bali. And just like Bali, Lombok boasts of its beaches and natural treasures: its top draws are the looming Mount Rinjani volcano, surrounding Gili Islands, and amazing Sasak people who have maintained their unique indigenous lifestyle. They are Muslims and through the years have maintained the traditional culture and festivals in Lombok.

Before Islam took over Indonesia in the 17th Century, the Sasaks (and most Indonesians) embraced Hinduism and Buddhism. Today, only a few Hindus remain in Bali, while about 85% of the country’s total population is Muslim. In Lombok, however, the Islam faith has not completely been rid of Hindu-Buddhism and animism. Many natives practice Wekta Telu, an unorthodox Islamic set of beliefs that instructs devotees to pray only three times a day instead of five. Wekta Telu largely maintains animistic, pantheistic and Hindu practices. Meanwhile, many still practice traditional magic and believe in the existence of spirits. The island also has a few Chinese Christians.

As largely a Muslim province, the most important religious event in Lombok is the Ramadan, the fasting month of all Muslim nations. It is not true, though, that restaurants are closed and there’s nothing to eat at all, so that tourists are discouraged to come lest they starve to death. This is completely untrue. There are tons of non-Muslim locals and tourists in the island during the Ramadan and so businesses are open as usual. Bars may even continue serving alcohol.
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Ramadan takes place on the new moon in the 9th month of the Islamic calendar, which usually occurs on the 1st of September. Muslims abstain from all forms of earthly satisfaction such as eating, drinking, smoking and sex, but only before sunrise. Ramadan is their special time to meditate, reflect and exercise self control.

Another important Lombok event is the Senggigi Festival, which is primarily observed in the town of Senggigi located on the northwestern side of the island. This colorful event is not religious but is done with the main purpose of promoting tourism. Organized by the Department of Tourism, Art and Culture of West Lombok, the week-long festival involves several fun activities on the beach such as dancing, family outings, musical performances and local theater depicting traditional myths and legends. Highlighted also are traditional handicrafts and products. Hordes of foreign guests flock to Senggigi not only to enjoy the events but also to learn more about Lombok’s local traditions.

Finally, Bau Nyale is a major annual festival that is neither religious nor promotional. It follows a local legend that involves catching the nyale, a kind of sea worm. “Bau Nyale” means “catching the nyale”. The legend tells of an extremely beautiful princess named Mandalika, who decided to kill herself since all the town’s princes could not stop fighting to see who would win her heart. The princess threw herself into the sea to stop all the fighting and chaos. Legends say that she comes back to Kuta Beach in the form of little, colorful sea worms. Locals perform different kinds of rituals the night before the nyale worms surface. The worms are then caught, cooked and eaten. Some natives eat them raw.

These three local culture and festivals in Lombok demonstrate how colorful the Sasak culture is. The locals maintain age-old traditions and follow their Muslim faith while seriously promoting local traditions by making sure tourists have a grand time while in this mesmerizing island.