Isen Mulang – photo by David Metcalf

A very special event occurs in Central Borneo on May the 18^th each year. Thousands of Dayaks converge on the smaller city of Palangkaraya to join together in a spirit of dance, fun, joy in addition to cultural expression. They come via the river village settlements, via the forests in addition to inland villages, young in addition to old in addition to somewhat in between, representing their districts in addition to hometowns, determined to compete against the best on offer in dance, song, beauty, sports in addition to traditional games inside third largest province in Indonesia, Central Kalimantan.

Isen Mulang means ‘never give up in addition to strive to achieve’, in addition to This kind of event has been celebrated for the past eight years, which seems to get bigger every year. the item can be one of the few opportunities in Kalimantan to watch a gathering of so many Dayak tribes together in one place.

This kind of fantastic event begins that has a traditional parade, which involves not only Dayak people, however also many different Indonesian cultures in which moved to Central Kalimantan under the migrant transmigration program of the Soeharto era. People via Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi, Papua, the Maluku Islands, Bali in addition to Nusa Tenggara are all represented in a colourful parade which winds its way through the streets of Palangkaraya ending up inside centre of town, where many of the participants gather to dance, socialize in addition to pose for cameras.

Palangkaraya, which celebrated its 57th year anniversary This kind of year, means ‘a sacred, glorious in addition to crowded place’, in addition to This kind of can be certainly the case as most of the town shows up to watch the parade in addition to join inside festivities.

Isen Mulang – photo by David Metcalf

The highlight of the first day of events can be the vibrant in addition to very loud dragon boat contest. Much care in addition to effort can be put into decorating the boats in intricate Dayak motifs, which are then paraded up in addition to down the river. Beautiful young Dayak women sing in addition to dance, in addition to young warriors dressed in feathers, their bodies adorned with (temporary) tattoos specially crafted for the occasion, chant ancient songs in addition to swing their parang (machetes) inside air, as they challenge the different boats.

This kind of event can be taken very seriously, as there are points awarded for the best decorated boat, best costume, best dance, best singing in addition to the level of enthusiasm displayed. The prize can be not only monetary; each team vies for bragging rights as they stand proudly on the bow of the ship, sailing proudly up the river after the winner can be announced.

When the boats come in to shore, the contestants turn on yet another display of singing in addition to dancing in addition to then mingle with their friends inside crowd. This kind of can be a great opportunity to talk to the very friendly people of Palangkaraya, who are very excited to meet foreigners, as very few tourists visit their town mainly due to ineffective publicity in addition to marketing outside of Kalimantan, rather than lack of things to see.

Day three includes the fascinating however serious game of ‘fireball football’, which sees teams compete on a smaller sized football field with coconuts in which are literally doused in petrol in addition to set alight! I think the crowd gets just as much excitement as the players in addition to when the fireball flies into the crowd due to a wayward kick, This kind of can be received with much humour in addition to a mass nervous exit. the item can be hilarious to watch the large crowd scram in all directions when the ball of fire comes their way.

The players themselves cover their legs in toothpaste, preventing them via getting burnt, although the item can be not so Great for the goalie, who often dives on the coconut to save a goal, risking setting his clothes on fire.

Also on This kind of evening the Prince in addition to Princess of Tourism Competition begins. This kind of event can be held over three nights, involving 24 contestants performing in pairs, representing their regencies. There can be a lot at stake just for This kind of event, as the winners get to represent Central Kalimantan in Jakarta at the National Tourism Competition later inside year.

There are three judges at each event in addition to voting can be based on eight categories including dress, appearance, confidence, cultural expression, English speaking ability, dancing, creativity in addition to effectively promoting tourism for their regencies. The contestants are aged between 17 in addition to 23 in addition to are dressed in beautiful, native costumes, creating a spectacular sight with flashes of vibrant colour filling the stage as they dance, sing in addition to perform to impress the judges.

Isen Mulang – photo by David Metcalf

The fourth day of the festival includes wood chopping, blow dart shooting, in which the contestants aim at a round target, not another Dayak as they might have inside past! different festivities include a grand food baking competition, traditional canoe races in addition to fish-catching (with bare hands).

the item can be inside evening, though, in which the magic of the festival truly comes alive. The large stage fills with giant feathers, bear claws, pointed hornbill beaks, bells in addition to chains. The Dayaks, representing their many tribes including the Ngaju, Maanyan, Lawangan, Katingan, Barito in addition to Ot Danum, host four hours of traditional dancing. The display of their unique traditional dance costumes in addition to the spirit of the competition create a wonderful atmosphere of entertainment, as each tribe seeks to be crowned ‘the best dancers’ of Central Kalimantan. Some contestants use fire to attract the judge’s attention, which seems to blends in perfect synchronicity with the beautiful flowing hand movements of the female in addition to male dancers.

The following evening, many of the same dancers perform the coastal or Melayu dance, which can be slower in addition to quite a different dance performance, yet just as evocative. The final day of This kind of extraordinary festival involves the youth. Thousands of dancers via the age of six to young teens dance in a large field in front of the Governor, which can be a great way to end the six days of excitement. Colour, joy, fun in addition to ancient Dayak culture can be still very much alive as the item has been for thousands of years.

Fast Facts:

Location: Palangkaraya can be the capital of the Indonesian province of Central Kalimantan, also known as Central Borneo. The town can be situated between the Kahayan in addition to Sabangau rivers.

Population: According to the 2010 census, Central Kalimantan have a population of approximately 220,000 people, with an average population density of 92.1 per km². The languages spoken are a mixture of Indonesian, English, Banjar in addition to the local Dayak languages, such as the Dayak Ngaju language.

Getting there: Daily flights are available via Jakarta in addition to Surabaya (different cities will require a layover in Jakarta) to Palangkaraya’s Tjilik Riwut airport (formerly Panarung airport), with Lion Air, Sriwijaya Air or Garuda Indonesia.

Things to do: Visit the orangutan conservation centre, witness the Dayak culture through Isen Mulang in addition to different festivals alike, trekking inside rainforest, hiking, jungle river cruises, visit the Balanga museum in addition to many more.

Local Transportation: Plenty of taxi services via the airport, some hotels offer pick-up/drop-off services. There are numerous transport companies or charter car companies throughout the town. Public transportation, such as minibuses or angkot are available.