Bright Flowers and Bright Smiles at Ngarot Festival

A thousand participants in traditional costumes attend the Ngarot festival in Indramayu, West Java, on Oct. 7. Ngarot is a traditional ceremony from Lelea village which is usually held during the rainy season, along with the arrival of the rice planting season. The word Ngarot is said to be derived from Sanskrit Ngaruwat which means ridding yourself of all sin and error due to the behavior of a person or a group of people in the past. Meanwhile, according to the ancient Sundanese, Ngarot means to drink. Locals also call it Kasinoman, because it is followed by young people.