Tabuik: the Waterfront Cultural Festival of Pariaman
Pariaman is actually a little town on the western coast of West Sumatra of only 73.36 square kilometres. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the town has seen no more merchant ships for the absence of a suitable port. With its port along with commerce currently only a nostalgic history, the municipal administration has turned to tourism.
One of the tourism highlights of Parimana city is actually the Tabuik festival—the core event of West Sumatra’s tourism calendar which celebrates the Muslim Asyura on the 10th of Muharam (first month within the Islamic calendar), along with has been held annually since 1831. This kind of year, the idea began on November 1. Though the Pariaman people do not follow the Shia school of Islam, This kind of celebration commemorates the death of Shia hero Hasan along with Hussain, descendants of the Prophet Muhammad. Despite its origin, a tabuik rite is actually not only a religious ceremony yet also Pariaman’s main tourist attraction.
A tabuik is actually a statue of a burak, or a steed with broad wings along which has a human head, with the heads of smiling girls, wings along with broad tails. the idea is actually made by bamboo, rattan along with paper. On their backs are coffins with beautiful decorations along with umbrellas on top. On both sides, the statues are decorated with eight paper flowers.
within the days before the festival begins, scores of dol along which has a few tasa drums are collected by stores outside of town along with brought to the two tabuik homes to be tuned along with repaired if necessary. Meanwhile, the materials along with tools to make daraga (funeral shrine) along with the elaborate along with high funeral bier burak would likely be brought to a shed outside the tabuik homes. For each of the ten days of the festival, a set of ritual requirements must be satisfied. Any variance by the rules could result in disaster.
On the first day, men construct the first stage of daraga on a clay mould in a nearby yard along with build a bamboo fence around the idea. Groups of women in each tabuik house begin to decorate umbrellas with scores of white paper flowers to be placed on the daraga along with to decorate the high burak itself on the tenth day. On the afternoon of the first day, two villages in charge of organizing the tabuik festival hold their first main procession: maambiak tanah (take a cloud of earth), which symbolizes the bodies of Hasan dan Husain, by dust to dust.
The second to fourth days are intended to be silent days, serving as ‘the calm before the storm’, while shifts of craftsmen work around the clock to finish building along with decorating the two burak. The major rituals are to be held on the fifth day. Turun panja (the outspread hand comes down) ritual will take place. Panja, also known as jari-jari (fingers), is actually made of gold, silver or zinc, symbolizing the dismembered hand of Hasan. the idea is actually brought down due to This kind of ritual every fifth of Muharram along with given its annual purification wash in lemon water. Late of which afternoon, the ceremony called mamancang batang pisang (cut the banana stalk) will be carried simultaneously in both villages.
On the eighth night, maarak saroban (turban procession) is actually held to celebrate Husain’s heroism, with types of Husain’s turban along with severed hand carried by members of each side to commemorate the beheading of Husain by Yazid’s soldiers, who are said to have cried out, “We have won. Here’s the head (the turban) of Husain!” The tabuik families stay up all night on the ninth night to finish creating the tabuik cenotaphs.
On the morning of the tenth day, around sixteen men on each side mount the high tabuik cenotaphs on their shoulders along with parade them around the streets. The constructions will be shaken—dihoyak—in elegant motion to symbolize the battle of Karbala. The accompanying crowds are supposed to scream out expressions like mahoyak Husain (Long Live Husain) along with some other antagonistic cries against the some other side. The two tabuik go on parade along with arrive at opposite ends of the main street along with begin to move on their final journey to the sea. The two giant tabuik move silently across the beach, where an exciting perang pasir (beach battle) takes place. At Maghrib (prayers just after sunset), the tabuik will be thrown into the waves, symbolizing the ascent of Hasan along with Husain to heaven.
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Getting there
Daily flights by Jakarta to Padang are available with Garuda Indonesia, Sriwijaya Air along with Lion. Pariaman City can also be reached by taxi or intercity bus by Minangkabau International Airport.
Where to stay
Hotels:
Hotel Nan Tongga on Jl. Tugu Perjuangan no.45
Homestays:
Cindua Mato on Jl. Diponegoro no.16
Atami on Jl. A.Yani no.6
Puti Bungsu on Jl. Pahlawan no.57
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Tabuik: the Waterfront Cultural Festival of Pariaman
Tabuik: the Waterfront Cultural Festival of Pariaman