TEMPO.CO, Surakarta - Purwakarta Regency's Administration held the 2016 Sunda-Cirebonan Festival on Saturday evening, July 30, 2016 - which aims to celebrate the union of cultural differences from both areas. "It looked amazing and harmonious," said Purwakarta Regent, Dedi Mulyadi.
Among the Sundanese cultural shows that were showcased in the Festival include shadow puppetry or wayang golek, traditional rain-dance ritual known as domyak, and other performances such as badingdut. Meanwhile, performers from Cirebon showcased their own unique performances, such as tarling, lais, benjang, and the Tayub Dance.
The Festival took place along Jl. Soedirman and Singawinata in downtown Purwakarta - beginning at 19:30 Western Indonesia Time (WIB), until 00:00 WIB. Thousands of visitors and spectators came to see the Festival from around Purwakarta - including Jakarta, Banten, Bandung, and what is traditionally known as Priangan region, the Northern Coast of Subang, Indramayu, and Cirebon.
Dedi said that once upon a time, there was a disagreement between the Sunda and Cirebon Kingdom. That said, both parties came to an understanding - and parts of the dissipation of the conflict was attributed by arts and cultural mission.
Dedi explained that he want to continue to preserve the cultural heritage to highlight the importance of keeping the harmonious relations between the modern Sundanese and Cirebonese people. According to him, although both cultures have their own distinct style of arts and performances, both came from a single origin - and it reflects how all Indonesians are intertwined brothers.
As such, Dedi has made the Festival an annual event, which will be celebrated during City of Purwakarta's Anniversary and the Anniversary of the Founding of Purwakarta Regency - which happens midweek on the last week of July every year.
Not is all good news - Dedi said that he is saddened by the fact that these days, Sundanese people themselves are becoming more apathetic about the uniqueness of their culture, as well as the interconnectedness of cultures. "We cannot forget that our culture is an amalgamation of various cultures - Betawi, Banten, Cirebon and Sunda Priangan," said Dedi.
A tarling performer, Teguh, said that he is proud to be able to participate in the 2016 Sunda-Cirebonan Festival. "I am proud to see that we can still gather around, and celebrate the fact that both Sundanese and Cirebonese can interact without a metaphorical wall between us," he said.
NANANG SUTISNA