Images of Unity in Diversity

With about 300 ethnic units and 737 living languages, no other countries and territories are probably as diverse as Indonesia. Indeed, cultural diversity is this country's proud heritage embodied in the national motto "Bhineka Tunggal Ika" (Unity in Diversity).

The following pictures are only a small part of the pictures I took at Kemilau Nusantara 2009, one of the festivals that celebrates the Indonesian archipelago's (Nusantara) cultural diversity.

As I reported earlier, Kemilau Nusantara is an annual event organized by West Java Provincial Office of Tourism and Culture. This year's fest was attended by 14 (out of 33 Indonesian provinces) and 18 regencies and municipalities in West Java.

This post is Bandung Daily Photo's participation in this week's My World Tuesday meme. Please visit other participating blogs by clicking on the link.



Pencak silat dance from the Province of Banten.



A bride and groom from the Province of Lampung in the southern tip of Sumatra Island. Lampung has several ethnic-based wedding traditions. This is one of them.



A Jaipongan dancer from West Java.



A folk art from Sukabumi, West Java.



The Kancet Ledo/Gong dancers from the Dayak Kenyah tribe in East Kalimantan.

Kemilau Nusantara Fest 2009

Festival Kemilau Nusantara 2009 (literally: the glitter of the Indonesian archipelago fest 2009) was opened today by the governor of West Java Province Ahmad Heryawan (the man in the middle in the inset photo) this morning.

The festival is an annual event whose purpose are, among others, to showcase the Indonesian rich cultural heritage and to promote tourism. This year the representatives of 14 (out of total 33) Indonesian provinces and 18 cities and regencies in West Java take part in the festival.

To encourage quality documentation of the event, a photo contest was also held. A large number of photographers took part in the contest. I was one of them. For this reason, I will not be able to post my best shots because entries must have never been published prior to submission and judgement.

The top photo here is of some dancers waiting for the opening ceremony at the back stage. I'll post some more photos and stories about the fest tomorrow.