The traditional initiative seeks to preserve ancestral heritage from being eroded by technological progress and ensure its continuity among younger generations.
Head of the OKU District Archives and Library Office (Disarpus), Ahmad Azhar, said the district showcased various traditional arts, customs, and local cultural heritage during the festival, held at the Palembang Hajj Dormitory.
The event brought together participants from 17 districts and cities across South Sumatra.
At its exhibition booth, Disarpus OKU presented several well-documented cultural artifacts, including the Nyambai Ugan traditional ceremony.
The centuries-old tradition, originating from the Majapahit era in the Ulu Ogan region, is recorded in the historical manuscript Kitab Remas Undan Selake.
Nyambai Ugan is a ceremonial procession usually performed during community events such as fruit harvests, weddings, and welcoming ceremonies for honorary guests.
The ritual begins with adang-adangan—a symbolic blocking of guests using cloth or spears—followed by an exchange of rhyming verses and concluding with the Bakhi Nyambai Ogan dance.
Azhar noted that Nyambai Ugan has been known since at least 1843, as documented in a Dutch research publication of that year.
During the festival, the office also showcased a visual narration accompanied by traditional music, fabrics, and ceremonial items used in the ritual.
Among the cultural artifacts exhibited were the Men’s Kain Dudut (103 cm long and 84 cm wide), made in 1960, and the Women’s Kain Dudut (144 cm long and 102 cm wide), featuring black and red edges.
The exhibition also featured the Kain Pelangi, a multicolored fabric traditionally draped around the necks of honorary guests during welcoming ceremonies.
Azhar expressed hope that OKU’s participation in the South Sumatra Literacy Festival would help promote the Nyambai Ugan tradition more widely, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding cultural heritage that has been carefully archived by Disarpus OKU.
For the people of Ogan Komering Ulu, Nyambai Ugan embodies gratitude to the Creator and serves as a medium to strengthen social bonds, uphold customary values, and preserve cultural identity.
Originally, Nyambai was a sacred dance performed during grand celebrations as an expression of thanksgiving for divine blessings and prosperity.
The tradition also acts as a communal platform, bringing together young men, women, and the wider community to foster harmony and mutual respect.
Every movement, dance pattern, costume, and ceremonial accessory carries symbolic meaning, reflecting reverence for ancestors and respect for traditional norms. More than a cultural performance, Nyambai Ugan stands as a vital pillar in maintaining social cohesion and safeguarding the rich local wisdom of Ogan Komering Ulu amid rapid modern change.
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Translator: Primayanti
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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