Papuan Muslims Celebrate Eid With Stone Burning Festival
24 September 2015 15:58 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jayapura - Muslim community in Wamena, North Jayapura District, Papua, held an age old Papuan stone burning (bakar batu) festival to celebrate Eid al-Adha.
"Our tradition is bakar batu, both during last Eid ul-Fitri. This practice is not new, we conduct it every year,” said Kahar Yalipele, the local Muslim community leader, in Jayapura on Thursday, September 24.
Bakar batu is part of tradition of the Papuan people. It is a ritual of cooking together, started by burning stones until it simmers.
Red hot stones then laid in a hole and covered with foliage and tubers and meat on it. The pile of meat and tuber will then be covered again with smoldering rocks and foliage.
Kahar explained, Papuans are generally used to burn pig but the Muslim community replace it with chicken.
He also explained that this year's Eid ul-Adha, the Jayapura Municipal Government donated a cow to Paradise Asso Mushalla, their place of worship.
"We will distribute these sacrificial animals to the those in need,” he said.
ANTARA
