Indonesia celebrates festive Independence Day

Thu, August 22, 2019 / 01:05 pm

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President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo puts a belt on Dewa Agung Ayu Alamanda Diastari at the inauguration of the national flag-hoisting team at the State Palace on Aug. 15. JP/Seto Wardhana
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First Lady Iriana (center); Mufidah Kalla, wife of Vice President Jusuf Kalla; and Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Puan Maharani pose with members of the national flag-hoisting team during the inauguration of the team at the State Palace on Aug. 15. JP/ Seto Wardhana
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Officials line up during the Independence Day ceremony on the Jakarta Bay land reclamation project on Aug. 17. JP/ Rainier Nathaniel
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Singer Aaliyah Massaid hoists the flag in the Independence Day ceremony at Sea World, Ancol, North Jakarta, on Aug. 17. JP/Syelanita
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A horse ornament in the Independence Day parade on Aug. 17. JP/ Seto Wardhana
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The national flag-hoisting team at the Independence Day ceremony in Jakarta on Aug. 17. JP/ Seto Wardhana
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President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo hands over the national flag to national flag-hoisting team member Salma El Mutafaqqiha Putri Achzaabi at the Independence Day ceremony in Jakarta on Aug. 17. JP/Seto Wardhana
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The congregation of St. Theresia Bongsari Catholic Church in Semarang holds a mass to celebrate Indonesia’s Independence Day on Aug. 17. Altar boys carry the national flag and the church choir sings the national anthem in its three stanzas. JP/Suherdjoko
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Residents of Melaten village in Malang, East Java, don the traditional attire of the 34 provinces in Indonesia on Aug. 17, following the Independence Day ceremony attended by hundreds of residents. JP/ Aman Rochman
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Taman Impian Jaya Ancol (Ancol Dreamland Park) in North Jakarta holds a colossal panjat pinang (pole climbing) competition on Carnival Beach on Aug. 17. The park set up 174 poles to be climbed by Ancol’s visitors. JP/Syelanita
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Visitors of Atlantis Water Adventures at Ancol Dreamland Park in North Jakarta observer a giant flag-hoisting ceremony in the pool area on Saturday.JP/Anggie Angela
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Jakarta’s Public Facility Maintenance Agency workers, often referred to as “orange troops”, draw the Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity) symbol on Slipi Jaya overpass in West Jakarta, on Aug. 17. JP/Donny Fernando
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Hundreds of scavengers participate in the Independence Day competitions at the Yogyakarta’s Piyungan Integrated Waste Treatment Area (TPST) on Aug. 17. JP/Tarko Sudiarno
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Visitors participate in a giant cracker eating contest at Atlantis Water Adventures in Ancol, North Jakarta, on Aug. 17. JP/Anggie Angela
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Commuter Line trains painted with the national flag's colors at Jakarta Kota Station, West Jakarta, on Aug. 15. JP/Syelanita

From an underwater flag-hoisting ceremony to competitions and food festivals, Jakarta celebrated Indonesia’s 74th Independence Day with a series of vibrant events.

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan led a flag-hoisting ceremony on an artificial islet off Jakarta Bay on Saturday morning, which was attended thousands of city officials, city councillors, students and members of civil organizations. It was the first time the Jakarta administration held an Independence Day ceremony on Maju Beach, previously known as islet D.

It previously held Independence Day ceremonies at the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta.

Taman Impian Jaya Ancol (Ancol Dreamland Park) in North Jakarta also took part in Independence Day celebrations with various events. On Saturday morning, several divers joined an underwater flag-raising ceremony inside a 6-meter-deep aquarium at Sea World.

Ancol Dreamland Park management also held a colossal panjat pinang (pole climbing) competition for visitors and surrounding residents. As many as 175 poles were installed at Karnaval Beach. Hundreds of people tried their luck at winning prizes that were hanging from the top of the poles, such as bicycles, bags and even water dispensers.

Ocean Dream Samudra, located inside the park’s compound, also staged a special play titled Benteng Perjuangan (Fortress of Struggle), which narrates the struggles faced by the people of Batavia — the old name for Jakarta — during the Dutch colonial era.

Competitions also enlivened Independence Day in residential areas as residents, especially children, participated in traditional games such as sack races, makan kerupuk (cracker eating competitions) and panjat pinang.

Meanwhile, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has marked Indonesian diversity by commemorating the country's 74th Independence Day on Saturday in traditional clothing from a variety of indigenous cultures.

The President was spotted in the predominantly black attire of Klungkung, Bali, complete with wrapped headdress and batik sarong, as he made his way to lead a flag-raising ceremony on Saturday morning on the front lawn of Merdeka Palace in Central Jakarta.

The dark color of his costume was a contrast against the white Balinese attire sported by his eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming, and the yellow Balinese dress of his grandson, Jan Ethes Sri Narendra.

The President said he did not have any special reason for choosing the attire of Indonesia's top tourist destination, saying merely that he wished to wear a different traditional costume for each flag-raising ceremony.