In Mas Mas village in Central Lombok and in the Batusela community of West Lombok’s Sesela village, traditional artisans are honing their skills in expectation of rising visitor numbers.
Mas Mas craftsmen produce ketak products, such as table mats and containers, from a tightly woven grass which grows naturally in nearby forests.
Batusela artisans are masters at producing cukli goods such as masks, chests and frames, all from carved timber ornately inlaid with designs made from shell.
Both ranges of products are popular with visitors to Lombok and are readily identifiable as traditional crafts of the eastern Indonesian island which is gaining an international reputation as an emerging tourist destination.
Lombok is part of the province of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) which has been identified, along with neighbouring Bali and East Nusa Tenggara, as a corridor for tourism development in the MP3EI national masterplan to accelerate growth.
In response, NTB tourism groups have actively sought to identify additional NTB attractions to include in tourism packages.
A workshop attended by the province’s Regional Leadership Council (DPD), Indonesian Guides Association (HPI) and Indonesian Tours and Travel Association (ASITA) initially identified Port Tawun and Pekemit village, both in West Lombok, as well as Mas Mas and Batusela as potential attractions.
NTB’s HPI deputy chairman Ahmad Hairi said once the shortlist was narrowed to only Mas Mas and Batusela, workshop delegates visited the two communities to determine their potential.
Most people in Batusela, in the Gunungsari district, are skilled carpenters who have extended their craft of woodcarving into the art of cukli, said Ahmad. The village therefore is already attracting some visitors and villagers have adapted to accommodate them.
Through the West Lombok administration, an art market is being built in Batusela especially to accommodate tourists wanting to explore and buy cukli products.
A dedicated package tour would now be devised to take tourist to Batusela by traditional cidomo (pony cart) transport, said Ahmad. Drivers of the ornately decorated carts and ponies would be equipped with knowledge relevant to tourists.
“Tourists will be taken to see the wood carving and cukli processes in the village and may even have a turn at carving if they wish.”
The old village has the added attraction of being the home of relics from the days of the Kingdom of Lombok. They include a mosque, believed to be a gift from Balinese King of Lombok Anak Agung Gede Karang Asem, which is still used by Batusela villagers.
“In the mosque area is a spring that flows all the time, even when Lombok is suffering a prolonged drought,” said Ahmad. “Today people still bathe here and take the water for everyday use.”
The excursion to Mas Mas village, in Batukliang district, was led by HPI Central Lombok chairman Karyadi, who said the village was equal to other Lombok tourist destinations.
Set in the foothills of Mount Rinjani, the cool village offers scenic views of verdant rice paddies against a background of the majestic peak and virgin tropical forests.
Most Mas Mas villagers are farmers and some of them, as a sideline, take the special grass from the mountain forests to create the internationally-popular ketak products.
“Tourists who come here get to see the process of making ketak products and also enjoy watching the villagers at work,” said Karyadi. “They often join workers in the fields for refreshments.
“Not far from Mas-Mas, visitors will find many beautiful natural attractions including the Benang Setokel and Benang Kelambu waterfalls and Aik Bukaq nature park.”
source:http://www.enchanting-lomboksumbawa.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment