"This (Ampih Pare tradition) is followed with the offering of a lot of prayers, so that the harvest can be enjoyed by the entire community and all can receive blessings," the Ministry's Director of Indigenous Faiths Samsul Hadi stated in Garut, Monday.
Hadi said the Ampih Pare tradition of the people of Banjarwangi Sub-district had been upheld for generations and was followed to express gratitude to God for abundant, pest-free harvest results.
In this traditional event, people bring rice harvested from rice fields to leuit, or a building for storing harvested crops, he explained.
Hadi expressed optimism that such tradition would continue to be preserved, while emphasizing that the central and regional governments are ready to support it by attending these activities.
"This is part of the indigenous community to encourage efforts to preserve the culture," he stated.
A House of Representatives' member, Ferdiansyah, emphasized that Indonesia should not be left behind in terms of the cultural aspects and should have the greatest culture in the world.
Ferdiansyah said the Indonesian government has provided support in cultural preservation through Law No. 5 of 2017 on the Advancement of Culture.
"We already have Law No. 5 of 2017 concerning the Advancement of Culture, with the aim of preserving the customs and maintaining the essence of these customs, with the intention of not forgetting our history, among others," he expounded.
Citing information from the ministry's website, in 2017, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) had once considered Indonesia to be a superpower country in terms of the culture.
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Translator: Feri P, Kenzu T
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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