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Lombok holds gladiator-style Peresean Festival
Peresean is a gladiator-style fight between two teams.
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Daytime view of the shore of Tanjung An, Central Lombok. (Shutterstock/File)
T
here’s a new attraction called Peresean Festival currently ongoing in Lombok from Nov. 23 – 25. The festival is being held on the shore of Tanjung An, Central Lombok.
Peresean is a gladiator-style fight between two teams. Before the match, both teams form a circle for praying, one of them holds a rattan stick while chanting out spells.
Then pepadu (fighter) enters the ring armed with penjalin (rattan stick) and wooden shield. Each game consists of three rounds and each round is one minute long.
The sound of gamelan accompanies the match, the game gets even more exciting with visitors flashing out their bets and cheering on the fighters.
Central Lombok tourism department head Lalu Putria said that the festival aims to preserve the traditional art and culture of the Sasak tribe.
“Apart from entertaining local and overseas tourists, Peresean Festival is a promotional tool for KEK [Special Economic Zone] Mandalika,” said Lalu. (asw)
