LOMBOK FESTIVAL CALENDAR

All three Lombok religions have their own holidays and festivals, with most of them taking place at the beginning of the rainy season (October to December) or at harvest time (April to May). At these times there are celebrations in villages all over the island, and people dress in their finest gear. Wooden horses and lions are carried in processions through the streets and there's nowhere to escape the sound of the gamelan.

Islamic festivials a Wektu Telu festival held in defence of the Muslim period of abstinence. Three days of fasting and prayer begin at the same time as Ramadan (the date changes every year) when everyone fasts between sunup and sunset to conform to the fourth pillar of Islam. Ramadan ends with a huge feast, Eid al-Fitr, where everyone prays together, visits friends, gives presents and stuffs themselves full of the glorious food that is prepared especially for this occasion. Eid al-Adah, another moveable event, is the other big feast of the year and marks the time when Muslims should make the pilgrimage to Mecca. Other events include Pura Meru a Bali Hindu ceremony celebrated on the June full moon at the temple in Cakranegara, Perang Ketupat, a rain festival held in Lingsar between October and December where celebrants pray and fling sticky rice at each other, and Pujawali, a Bali Hindu celebration honouring the god Batara who lives on Gunung Rinjani.

Note: Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the Moon and the dates given above are approximations. During the lunar month of Ramadan that precedes Eid al-Fitr, Muslims fast during the day and feast at night and normal business patterns may be interrupted. Many restaurants are closed during the day and there may be restrictions on smoking and drinking. Some disruption may continue into Eid al-Fitr itself. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha may last anything from two to ten days, depending on the region. For more information see the World of Islam appendix.

MoonBuddhist festivals are also timed according to phases of the moon and variations may occur. Christian festivals on the other hand occur according to the western calendar.

Festivals held on Lombok.
Nyale FestivalNyale Festival (February or March) (Also known as the Nyale Fishing Festival) Is a major Sasak celebration on the south coast associated with nyale fish.

Desa Bersih Desa Bersih (First Thursday in April) celebrates the harvest and is when houses and gardens are cleaned, fences washed and roads and paths repaired. Once held to rid the villages of evil spirits it is now held to honour Dewi Sri, the goddess of rice.

Harvest CeremonyHarvest Ceremony (March or April) is held at Gunung Pensong, near Mataram, as a thanksgiving for a good harvest. This Bali Hindu ceremony involves dragging a buffalo up a steep hill then slaughtering it for sacrifice (definitely not for the squeemish).

Pura MeruPura Meru (June) is a special Hindu ceremony held at full moon in the Balinese Pura Meru temple at Cakranegara in Mataram.

Puasa Puasa (October or November) is a Wektu Telu festival held in deference to the Muslim period os abstinence, the 3 days of fasting and prayer beginning at the same time as Ramadan.

RamadanRamadan is one of, if not the most important festival on the Muslim calendar and involves prayers to Allah and fasting from sun-up to sun-set for a full lunar month.

Puasa Idul Fitri (November or December) also known as Hari Raya is the first day of the 10th month of the Muslim calendar and the end of Ramadan. It is traditional during this time, to travel to visit one's home village thus many Indonesians travel during this period.

Hari Raya KetupatHari Raya Ketupat (held 7 days after Ramadan) also called Learan Topat is another Wektu Telu celebration held at Batulayar near Senggigi.

Idul Adha, (held 2 months after the end of Ramadan) is a day of sacrifice and is held on the 10th day of the 11th month of the Muslim calendar.

Maulud Nabi MohammedMaulud Nabi Mohammed (12th day of the 12th month of the Muslim calendar) also caled Hari Natal is Mahommad's birthday celebration.

Isra Miraj Nabi MohammedIsra Miraj Nabi Mohammed (October) is a festival celebrating the ascension of Mohammed.

Perang Ketupat also called Perang Topat (between October and December) is the annual rain festival held at Lingsar, near Mataram. Adherants of the Wektu Telu religion and Balinese Hindu's give offerings and pray at the temple, then come out and pelt each other with sticky rice (ketupat) wrapped in banana leaves.

Danau Segara AnakPujawali is a Balininese Hindu celebration held every year at Pura Kalasa temple in Namada, near Mataram, in honour of the god Batara, who dwells on Lombok's most sacred mountain, Gunung Rinjani. At the same time they make the trek up and then down to Danau Segara Anak (the lake) and hold another ceremony called Pekelan, where they throw gold trinkets or objects into the lake.