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Located to the east of the island of Bali, the island of Lombok in the Indonesian archipelago hosts a good number of festivals and cultural events in the course of the year. The island of Lombok, which is inhabited by the Sasak people, is primarily a Muslim society. However, there are a considerable number of Hindus and Christians too. Of the many festivals that are celebrated in the island, the Male'an Sampi Festival of Lombok is a renowned one; one that is celebrated with much revelry. The Male'an Sampi Festival of Lombok is unique for the reason that unlike other festivals, the Male'an Sampi Festival of Lombok is a power-charged game ritual. The name of the Male'an Sampi Festival of Lombok “Male'an Sampi” can be split into two Sasak words “MaleÕan” and Sampi”. The former translates as ‘chase’or as ‘to run after’ in Sasak, while the later means ‘cow’. So literally the Male'an Sampi Festival of Lombok is a festival of cow race or, more broadly, ‘cattle race’. Held within the month of April, the race occurs after the harvest has been gathered and the farms are going through a rest period. During this time, the farmers and the cattle owners and stock breeders take advantage of the leisure to organize and host the Male'an Sampi Festival of Lombok. In fact, through the entire country of Indonesia, the Male'an Sampi Festival of Lombok is a specialty of the island. Before the race begins, the cattle that has been chosen by the owners with immense care, is promenaded around the arena. The cattle are bedecked with trimmings while their owners – who are called jockeys – dress up in the traditional attire of Lombok. After this exhibition of the cattle is over, there is a procession of locals accompanied by music and fanfare. Some of the popular genres of music that accompany this procession are Tawak-Tawak, Gamelan Kampul and Batek Baris Lingsar. After all this, the race begins in the arena. The main arena comprises of a 100 meter long race track. However, it is not an ordinary race track, it is waterlogged. The cows that have been prepared for the race, with good food, grooming and a tiny dose of ‘black magic’ then take to the tracks. The victor and the good performers in the race get star ratings and are put up for sale by the owners as they are considered to be a good investment. The game is a highly charged one, as it involves high stakes because betting on animals is a part and parcel of it; given that the game draws large numbers of people as spectators and participants from the island as well as outside. Of late, with the boom in tourism, there has been plenty of tourist focus on the Male'an Sampi Festival of Lombok as well.
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