Gawai day,which falls on the 1st of June evry year,is the day for all Dayak races in Sarawak to celebrate the end of the harvest season.Dayak would visit their friends and relative on this day,such visit in more known as "NGABANG"in Iban language.
Present Day of Gawai Dayak
The word Gawai means a ritual or festival whereas Dayak is a collective name for the natives races in Sarawak; the Iban, Bidayuh, Kayan, Kenyah, Kelabit, Murut and a few more. Thus Gawai Dayak literally means the Dayak Festival.
The mode of celebrations varies from place to place. Preparation starts very early. Tuak (rice wine) are brewed and traditional delicacies like penganan (cakes from rice flour, sugar and coconut milk) prepared. As the big day approaches, everyone will be busy with the general cleaning and preparing the food or cakes. On Gawai eve, glutinous rice are roasted in bamboo (ngelulun pulut). In the longhouse, new mats will be laid out on the ruai (an open gallery which runs through the entire length of the longhouse). The walls of most bilik (rooms) and the ruai are decorated with pua kumbu (traditional blanket).
The celebration starts on the evening of 31st May. In most Iban's longhouse, it starts with a ceremony called Muai Antu Rua (to cast away the spirit of greediness), signifying the non interference of the spirit of bad luck in the celebration. Two children or men each dragging a chapan or winnowing basket will pass each family room. Every family will throw some unwanted article into the basket. The unwanted articles will be tossed to the ground from the end of the longhouse for the spirit of bad luck.
Around 6 pm, miring (offering ceremony) will take place. Before the ceremony, gendang rayah (ritual music) is performed. The feast chief thanks the gods for the good harvest, ask for guidance, blessings and long life as he sacrifices a cockerel. Dinner will then be served at the ruai. While waiting for midnight, the folks gather and mingle at the ruai and berandau (talk/converse). Meanwhile, drinks, traditional cakes and delicacies are served.
At midnight, the gong is sounded. The tuai rumah will lead everyone to drink the Ai Pengayu (normally tuak for long life) and at the same time wishing each other "gayu-guru, gerai-nyamai" (long life, health and prosperity). A procession up and down the ruai called Ngalu Petara (Welcoming the Spirits) will follow. The celebration by now will get more merrier. Some will dance to the traditional music played. Others will sing the pantun (poems). In the town, the Dayak will gather at the community centres or restaurants for a enliven the evening.
Other activities that may follow the next day include cock-fighting, demonstration of blowpipe skills and ngajat competitions. On this day, 1st June, the homes of the Dayaks will be opened to visitors. In the longhouses, there is a practises called masu pengabang where guests will be served with tuak by the host before they can enter the longhouse. Dayaks will attend a church mass to thanks God for the good harvest. Gawai Dayak celebration may last for several days. Visitors are most welcome to the homes of the Dayaks during the festival.
The enterance to World Harvest Festival 2008 @ Sarawak Cultural Village.
WELCOME.
The making of pretty things with palm leaf.
Cultural group from Senggar Tari Bengkawan of Kalimantan Barat,Indonesia.
Maybe you'd like to try your feet at the dance perform by the various ethnic from Kalimatan, Indonesia.
Hello!!!! I'm The Chief of the Sanggar Tari Benkawan.
The woman are noted for their handcraft.
Will show you the way...................
Ethnic Arts.
Time to go to wash room.
Traditional way of making Parang.
Bamboo bridge.
The Bidayuh woman winnows paddy grains to separate the husk.
Ethnic Arts.
The festival will showcase traditional dance music,ethnic costumes.
It's beautiful ...I mean the lady.
Don't be shy...now a days musclemen can dance better than woman.
Audience from National Service(PLKN) enjoy the show.
The BahBola group Orang Asli tribes from West Malaysia(Pahang)
Hello!!!!how are you uncle.....
The celebrations.the villagers,dressed in their best.
The young long house warrior.....wearing latest trendy frame glases.
Lovely smile.....Welcome to our long house..Selamat Ari Gawai.
Infectious smiles from beautiflul maidens.
Welcome to WHF2008 to the ladies from PLKN.
The two photos here tell us the long house hospitality.The State of Sarawak celebrates their Harvest Festival or Gawai Dayak which not only marks the bountiful harvest but the begining of the Iban New Year.Ibuk is preparing native cuisine for the guests of WHF08 "Ngabang".
To Iban long house.Ibans aka Sea Dayak.
Rumah Bidayuh.One of the 26-plus ethnic groups in Sarawak is Bidayuh aka Land Dayak.
Welcome to Bidayuh house.
Veranda of Bidayuh house.
Penan hut.
The People ,,PENAN.
Welcome to Orang Ulu Longhouse.
I am Orang Ulu(literally"upriver people"),,the collective name given to the smaller indigenous groups,including Kayan,Kenyah,Kelabit,Berawan,Lun Bawang and Penan.
Veranda of orang ulu long house.
Rumah Melayu(Malay House) @ Sarawak Cultural Village.
Rumah Melanau(Melanau house)@Sarawak Cultural Village. Melanau is from the coastal areas.
Rumah Orang Ulu(Orang Ulu LOng House)@Sarawak Cultural Village.
Sarawak Cultural Village.
Sarawak Cultural Village.
Cultural Concert performer Ell Zain Hyder Zainuddin aka Endang playing "erhu" chinese classical instrument.She has performed at many International event.
Ironman Competition Games .Visitors also witness the "Iron Man" competition of Sarawak musclemen who compete for the WHF2008 Hercules title.
2 comments:
uncleawang,
Now that's what I call full coverage. There are so many things happening in Sarawak, we cannot see from here.
Cultural village is a very nice play to observe the real culture of the native people of Sarawak. I tried dance once, and it was messy hahaha.
I didn't know that Cultural Village hold such events. I bet the visitor number versus time graph gets the spike during such festival.
That male water closet signage, real sleek, real creative, real cool :)
Have a nice day uncle, take care.
Akmal,
I was just lucky to get discounted entrance ticket for Rm25.00 one day.Normal Rm60.00.More event at night till midnight but tak larat nak ikut..maybe young man no problem.
Have a nice day.
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