Denpasar - Wearing their grandest traditional attire, kings and queens from dozens of ancient kingdoms in Indonesia and several neighboring countries applauded traditional art performances from regions including Central Java, East Nusa Tenggara and South Sulawesi.
The royal families clicked their pocket cameras almost in unison as dancers from Reog Ponorogo showed-off their skills.
The royals attended a cultural parade on Jl. Veteran in Denpasar on Wednesday that marked the opening of the first South East Asia Royal Cultural Heritage Festival and Expo, to be held at the Art Center until Sunday.
Many kinds of handicrafts, heritage items and culinary products are expected to attract visitors to what will become a biannual event.
"We hope we can help guide the protection of our heritage and culture through this event. Right now, the government only considers us (the kingdoms) tourist objects," event committee chairman A.A. Gde Agung said.
Gde Agung, who is also a patron of Puri Agung Negara in Jembrana, said he hoped the kingdoms could be involved in the formulation of certain regulations, including the management of city developments to ensure that local religious and cultural areas are protected.
"We don`t want any further destruction of our heritage. We`re sick of the government confiscating a kingdom`s cultural land so easily," he said, reminding of the kingdoms` contributions to Indonesia prior to its independence.
Gde Agung said the same thing happens in other countries and said each kingdom would convey the desire to preserve its heritage to its respective government.
He said representatives of kingdoms from foreign countries including the Philippines, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea and the Netherlands had been scheduled to attend the event.
Gunarso G. Kusumodiningrat, head of the observation and research of Indonesian kingdoms team, said that out of 118 kingdoms that have reigned across the country, only 60 still exist.
He said many palaces have been turned into museums and are given minimum maintenance.
King of the Saoraja La Inggi Belo Bakaru, from South Sulawesi, said he appreciated the local administration`s attention although complained that budget allocated for the operation of his kingdom was not enough.
"The government made asphalt streets servicing my palace, until it was burnt," he said, adding that he shared the local government`s desire to improve the region. He admitted that the kingdom did not have any political power in the local society, "but still, we play a role in taking care of its cultural heritage." Wasti Atmodjo and Indah Setiawati
Source:
http://www.thejakartapost.com (November 28, 2008)