Festival in lombok 2012 : Bau Nyale - capture your sea worms

If you are planning to travel to Indonesia in this February, especially with Lombok island as your major destination. Do not miss a festival that is very interesting to visit. The festival is named "Bau Nyale". Bau Nyale is a festival that always held regularly on the Lombok island. The festival is held right on 16 point of the southern coast which extends as far as tens kilometers from east to west in Central Lombok, such as Kaliantan Beach, Kuta Beach or Selong Belanak Beach. And the most attractive view is in Seger Beach, Kuta village, Central Lombok.

On 12-13 February 2012 Sasak society, the dominant ethnic group who inhabit Lombok island, West Nusa Tenggara, will hold a traditional ceremony of Bau Nyale, a regular festival which celebrated in Lombok, five days after the full moon day of the 20th or 10th month in traditional Sasak calendar. The word "Bau" in Lombok means catch, while the "Nyale" is a kind of sea worm that only appears on the surface several times a year near the beach.

Bau Nyale Festival is basically as a ritual to catch sea worms that come out at Kuta beach area in certain months. Several worms in green color, brown, orange until red is going out at midnight to early morning when the coastal sea began to recede. These worms are captured, and will be consumed by people of Sasak then cooked and eaten together. According to some explanation from the experts, the worms that captured in this festival are very good for consumption because so rich in protein.

The festival will feature some variety of traditional competitions such as bekayaq, cikolaq, peresean, begambus, unrequited rhyme and paddle boat race. There are also performing arts like colossal drama which talk about Princess Mandalika, shadow puppets, penginang robek and theater legend of Nyale Princess.

Bau Nyale Festival is attracting for many people. Not only for the society in Lombok island, but also for the visitors who want to see the uniqueness of this festival. All visitors directly can participate to capture the Nyale / Worms at the festival. The festival is also have a means of unity among society and visitors in the island of Lombok. As one of the artistic richness of Indonesian culture, Bau Nyale Festival has become a pride for society in Lombok island.