Hari Gawai Dayak: A glorious display of cultural richness

Free Malaysia Today

Continuing time-honoured practices of the indigenous Dayak community in Sarawak, the annual festival on June 1 is a must-experience cultural event.  Written & presented by: Theevya Ragu Shot by: Afizi Ismail Edited by: Hemaviknesh Supramaniam  Read More: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/leisure/2024/06/05/hari-gawai-in-bintulu-a-glorious-display-of-cultural-richness/  Free Malaysia Today is an independent, bi-lingual news portal with a focus on Malaysian current affairs.    Subscribe to our channel - http://bit.ly/2Qo08ry   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Check us out at https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com Follow FMT on Facebook: https://bit.ly/49JJoo5 Follow FMT on Dailymotion: https://bit.ly/2WGITHM Follow FMT on X: https://bit.ly/48zARSW  Follow FMT on Instagram: https://bit.ly/48Cq76h Follow FMT on TikTok : https://bit.ly/3uKuQFp Follow FMT Berita on TikTok: https://bit.ly/48vpnQG  Follow FMT Telegram - https://bit.ly/42VyzMX Follow FMT LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/42YytEb Follow FMT Lifestyle on Instagram: https://bit.ly/42WrsUj Follow FMT on WhatsApp: https://bit.ly/49GMbxW  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Download FMT News App: Google Play – http://bit.ly/2YSuV46 App Store – https://apple.co/2HNH7gZ Huawei AppGallery - https://bit.ly/2D2OpNP  #FMTLifestyle #HariGawai #Dayak #Sarawak #Culture #Celebration

Transcript

00:00 To truly experience Malaysia's uniqueness, Sarawak is the place to be, especially during

00:14 Hari Gawai, the Dayak community's biggest and brightest festival of the year.

00:22 Celebrated every year on June 1st, the festival marks the end of the harvest season and is

00:28 the time of thanksgiving and togetherness for indigenous communities across the state.

00:36 In Bintulu, a coastal town in central Sarawak with over 200 Iban longhouses, the festivities

00:43 are as grand as ever.

00:49 At each longhouse, visitors from near and far are greeted with open arms to partake

00:54 in the colorful festivities. Featuring unique traditions, lively dances and fun games, it's

01:00 a celebration that leaves a lasting impression.

01:13 Speaking with FMT Lifestyle, 67-year-old Edward Nuli, a retired school principal and now chief

01:19 of a longhouse, offered insights into the major highlights of Hari Gawai, including

01:25 the toast of their traditional rice wine, tuak or ai pengayu, at the stroke of midnight

01:31 on June 1st.

01:32 The Tuai Rumah will announce with a speaker and then the chiefman or the Tuai Rumah will

01:41 hit the gong just as a celebration for everybody to drink the ai pengayu. So that is the most

01:50 important thing. You have to do that.

01:56 Visitors are welcomed with tuak upon entering the longhouse and ushered in with the traditional

02:01 ngajat dance, which mirrors the movements of a hornbill, accompanied by the rhythmic

02:07 beating of gendang pampat drums.

02:15 Despite living in a modern world, the Dayak community holds on to their heritage by continuing

02:21 time-honored practices like the miring ceremony.

02:27 The longhouse chief expresses gratitude for the good harvest and seeks blessings from

02:33 deities, spirits, and ancestors by presenting an array of offerings, including a kakorol,

02:39 which marks the ceremonial conclusion.

02:45 Another rich custom displayed at each longhouse is the fohon ranyai, or "tree of life."

02:51 Adorned with various items, it serves as a backdrop to performances.

02:59 Gracing the celebrations in Bintulu was Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Thiong Khing Seng,

03:05 who stressed the importance of spotlighting Sarawak's unique cultures on the world stage.

03:10 We have a culture in Sarawak. Today, we have a lot of young people from all over the world

03:20 coming here to celebrate. We are very happy to be here. We are very happy to be here.

03:46 As you stroll through the unique longhouses, where multiple families reside under one roof,

03:52 the celebrations of merrymaking never cease. From feasting on traditional delicacies to

03:58 witnessing women dressed in their traditional costumes dancing alongside visitors, it's

04:04 a truly unforgettable experience.

04:09 In Sarawak, where harmony among diverse cultures flourishes, the unity seen in festivals like

04:15 Hari Gawaii reminds us that there's far more to this land than meets the eye.

04:35 (upbeat music)

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