The Cool Erau Tenggarong Festival

Helloindonesia.id – In the middle of every year, precisely in June, the City of Tenggarong, Kutai Kartanegara Regency, East Kalimantan becomes very crowded. Why is it crowded? The reason is that in that month a festival called the Erau Festival is often held. Erau itself comes from the Kutai language, which is eroh which means crowded, boisterous, noisy, joyful atmosphere. The atmosphere is lively, boisterous with low voices in the sense: the number of activities of a group of people who have a desire and have meaning both sacred, ritual, and entertainment.

Erau was first performed at a ground tread ceremony and bathing to the shore when Aji Batara Agung Dewa Sakti was 5 years old. As an adult and appointed as the first King of Kutai Kartanegara (1300-1325), the Erau ceremony was also held. Since then Erau has always been held every time there is a replacement or coronation of Kutai Kartanegara kings. The last implementation of Erau according to the customs of the Kutai Kartanegara Sultanate was carried out in 1965, when a ceremony was held for the appointment of the Crown Prince of the Kutai Kartanegara Sultanate, Aji Pangeran Adipati Praboe Anoem Soerya Adiningrat.

Meanwhile, Erau as a Kutai traditional ceremony in an effort to preserve the culture of the local government of Kutai Regency was only held in 1971 at the initiative of the then Kutai Regent, Drs.H. Achmad Dahlan. Erau ceremony is held every 2 years to commemorate the anniversary of the city of Tenggarong which was founded on September 29, 1782. Over time, Erau is now a festival which is held annually as a cultural party.

The events carried out in the Erau festival are in the form of traditional ceremonies of the Kutai Kartanegara Ing Martadipura Sultanate, arts and cultural performances from various regions, traditional sports competitions, dragon boat races, motor boat races, expos and people’s parties. The traditional ceremonies that usually exist in the Erau Festival are as follows:

1. Beluluh Sultan Traditional Ceremony
2. The Continent Entertain Ceremony
3. Merangin Traditional Ceremony
4. Traditional Ceremony of Establishing Ayu
5. Bepelas Traditional Ceremony

The Erau Festival itself is usually held for two weeks. The festival theme changes every year. In addition to presenting Kutai’s cultures, there are also traditional and cultural performances from other regions and countries, so that the Erau Festival is not only an attraction for Kalimantan citizens, but also becomes the center of attention of global citizens.

The highlight of the Erau Festival is Berlimbur, which is to wet each other’s residents in Tenggarong City. The first procession from Berlimbur is to lower the ‘Naga’ or Ngulur Naga to the Mahakam river. After that, each resident wet the other residents. In the past, residents used whatever water they found, but now the Erau Festival committee has made a rule that the water used for Berlimbur must be clean water. Because the meaning of Berlimbur is essentially cleansing yourself from evil influences so that it will return to holiness and increase enthusiasm in developing the region.

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