A concrete longhouse at Kota Ngabang, which will be the hosting venue of Naik Dango Festival 2017.
KUCHING: A group of Dayaks are planning for a trip to the annual Naik Dango Festival, scheduled to be held at the West Kalimantan Province of Indonesia this April 27 and 28.
According to the group’s coordinator Alim Mideh, the festival is organised by the Indonesian Dewan Adat Dayak (DAD), adding that they will also visit several places across the province during the trip.
“This trip is interesting for us as we get to visit several significant sites in West Kalimantan and at the same time, attend the festival which is a significant event for the Dayaks there. We are currently inviting more people to join us,” he added.
The trip will begin at Kampung Serikin near the Sarawak-Kalimantan border in Bau this April 26 and from there, the group is expected to stop at Kampung Take’ in Kalimantan to see the weaving of traditional Dayak mats known as the ‘bidai’ or ‘kasah’, made from split rattans.
A few other places will also be visited by the group after that, including the ‘Rainbow On The River’ at Gua Maria – a cave at Sanggau Ledo – as well as the Shanti Bhuana, before heading to Kota Ngabang where the festival’s venue is.
According to Alim, ‘Naik Dango’ refers to a traditional ritual that was once a practice by villagers in the olden days but now with the majority of Dayaks having embraced Christianity, the ritual is rarely performed nowadays.
In this regard, the local (Kalimantan) government decided to centralise the celebration at major towns across the province and since then, it has become a tourism product – an event that attracts not only the local visitors, but also tourists from Malaysia, Brunei, other parts of Indonesia and even from as far as Holland.
Revered by all Dayak sub-communities in Kalimantan, the Naik Dango is a thanksgiving to the gods for a bountiful harvest.
Last year, DAD Kalimantan Barat head Bapak Andreas commented that the event had served to strengthen the cross-border relations between Kalimantan and Sarawak, with it being a unique tourism attraction.
“The Gawai Dayak Naik Dango is held with an aim to introduce and spread the local culture. It is hoped that this kind of event could help cultivate creativity among the people, especially the youths, in terms of appreciation for the arts and culture,” he said.
Those wishing to join Dayak group for the Naik Dango tour this year can contact Alim at 013-8044178 for further information.
Closing date for registration is April 15 and the fee for the trip is RM450 per person, inclusive of a two-night hotel stay, meals and transportation.