Preserving Balinese tradition of farming

Thu, March 14, 2019 / 03:34 pm

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Farmers are carrying scarecrows from their rice fields. JP/Zul Trio Anggono
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Farmers put a straw hat on top of a scarecrow. JP/Zul Trio Anggono
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The head of a scarecrow is decorated with a red hibiscus. JP/Zul Trio Anggono
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Farmers carry scarecrows from their rice fields. JP/Zul Trio Anggono
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A farmer lifts a scarecrow. JP/Zul Trio Anggono
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Two scarecrows are being displayed. JP/Zul Trio Anggono
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Farmers walk passing the pindekan and sunari (bamboo poles with bells on the top). JP/Zul Trio Anggono
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A farmer puts the offerings in between two scarecrows after the festival. JP/Zul Trio Anggono
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A pedanda (elder) is praying between two lelakut (scarecrows) before the Lelakut Festival in Sanur, Denpasar, Bali, on Friday (Feb. 15, 2019). The event is also to commemorate the anniversary of the city. JP/Zul Trio Anggono
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Denpasar administration puts a sign board, banning any construction in the agricultural land. JP/Zul Trio Anggono

Zul Trio Anggono

Denpasar municipal administration, through its cultural agency, is working hard on preserving the tradition of farming in the city as the farming area has decreased from 12,778 hectares to only 2,693 hectares in the last few years.

These farmers do not only preserve their irrigation system, famously known as subak which was developed in the ninth century. They also preserve the tradition to get rid of bugs by making scarecrows locally known as lelakut/petakut equipped with pindekan (bamboo poles) and sunari (bells put at the end of the bamboo poles).
Denpasar administration regularly holds Lelakut festival by encouraging farmers to compete in making the best scarecrows made of straws and completely dressed with hats. [yan]