Kupang (Antara NTT) - President Joko Widodo is scheduled to attend the Ikat Weaving Festival in Southwest Sumba District on Sumba Island in East Nusa Tenggara Province in July, according to Governor Frans Lebu Raya.
"The festival will be held from July 12 to 15, 2017, but the president is scheduled to arrive in Sumba on July 11 and return to Jakarta the next day," the governor stated.
Frans explained that Ikat weaving festival, which will be participated in by 2017 traditional weavers across Sumba Island, should have been held by the end of May but was postponed on the request of the organizing committee.
Sumba Island is made up of four districts, namely Southwest Sumba, West Sumba, Central Sumba, and East Sumba, and each district has its own variety of Ikat motifs and patterns.
The governor noted that he had asked East Nusa Tenggara Culture and Tourism Office to coordinate with the governments of four districts on Sumba Island to make good preparations for the success of the greatest festival.
He expressed hope that the traditional festival could boost the local economy, and the Ikat textiles could be developed into a creative industry.
In the meantime, East Nusa Tenggara Culture and Tourism head of tourism promotion division Eden Klakik remarked that the festival would be enlivened with a unique 1001 sandalwood horse festival.
The 1001 horses and their riders will wear various colorful traditional costumes originating from all across East Nusa Tenggara.
Sumba was for centuries known as Sandalwood Island because of its fragrant wood sought particularly by Chinese noblemen.
For this reason, the swift Sumba horses are called Sandalwood Ponies, which are most popular for horse racing, and are the highlight of the exciting annual tradition of the Pasola Jousting Festival.
The Sandalwood festival, involving 1001 amazing horses with all their outstanding features, will start from July 3 to 4 in East Sumba, from July 5 to 6 in Central Sumba, from July 7 to 8 in West Sumba, from and July 11 to 12 in Southwest Sumba.
"The festival will be held from July 12 to 15, 2017, but the president is scheduled to arrive in Sumba on July 11 and return to Jakarta the next day," the governor stated.
Frans explained that Ikat weaving festival, which will be participated in by 2017 traditional weavers across Sumba Island, should have been held by the end of May but was postponed on the request of the organizing committee.
Sumba Island is made up of four districts, namely Southwest Sumba, West Sumba, Central Sumba, and East Sumba, and each district has its own variety of Ikat motifs and patterns.
The governor noted that he had asked East Nusa Tenggara Culture and Tourism Office to coordinate with the governments of four districts on Sumba Island to make good preparations for the success of the greatest festival.
He expressed hope that the traditional festival could boost the local economy, and the Ikat textiles could be developed into a creative industry.
In the meantime, East Nusa Tenggara Culture and Tourism head of tourism promotion division Eden Klakik remarked that the festival would be enlivened with a unique 1001 sandalwood horse festival.
The 1001 horses and their riders will wear various colorful traditional costumes originating from all across East Nusa Tenggara.
Sumba was for centuries known as Sandalwood Island because of its fragrant wood sought particularly by Chinese noblemen.
For this reason, the swift Sumba horses are called Sandalwood Ponies, which are most popular for horse racing, and are the highlight of the exciting annual tradition of the Pasola Jousting Festival.
The Sandalwood festival, involving 1001 amazing horses with all their outstanding features, will start from July 3 to 4 in East Sumba, from July 5 to 6 in Central Sumba, from July 7 to 8 in West Sumba, from and July 11 to 12 in Southwest Sumba.