Designed with Gorga While Hitting Percussions, Solu Bolon Takes A Route around Lake Toba for The First Time
Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, together with North Sumatra Provincial Government, Samosir Regency and Toba Samosir Regency as well as 9 other regencies held traditional ceremony of Mangebang Solu Bolon (traveling traditional canoe round Lake Toba). Mangebang Solu refers to first launch of 17 traditional canoes in the water after having them crafted with a Bataknese indigenous ritual, and the 17 canoes are the main element of the ceremony.
Solu Bolon competition (canoeing competition) is part of a series of activities at Lake Toba Festival 2013. Each of Solu Bolon (canoes) is carved by chisel artists into the design of Gorga (typical Bataknese carving) at TB Silalahi Center complex in Soposurung Village, Balige, Toba Samosir Regency.
Waston Simbolon, Head of Social Workers Youth Sport and Tourism (Sosnakerpora) of Samosir Regency and also head of the Local Organizing Committee Sports for Lake Toba Festival 2013, said, “Canoe’s first launch in the water in a Habatahan ritual is a Bataknese tradition that is fading away. Thus, it is important that Mangebang Solu being a revival moment be preserved so this culture can be promoted to public at large.”
This interesting ritual was held in the presence of Bataknese leading senior and public figures as well as Solu Bolon athletes. One of them is Prof. Sori Mangaraja Sitanggang taking role as Panuturi (senior advisor), who directed Mangebang Solu procession. Meanwhile, Hinca Panjaitan, Director of Sports for Lake Toba Festival 2013, added that the procession is an important activity because this ritual represents the local honorable wisdom. It is part of Indonesia’s rich cultural diversity.
The activity of Mangebang Solu Bolon consists of elements from Mangadati Pande Gorga (thanksgiving ritual), Penyerahan Hole (handover the paddles), Mangadati Raja Huta (paying respect for traditional leaders), Pangurasan (blessing) Solu Bolon, Lake Toba Ritual, Manggalang Itak Gurgur (traditional Bataknese food), all the way to the symbolic launch of Solu Bolon (canoes) in the water as well as encircles the Solu Bolon for 7 times before eventually dispatched all the 17 canoes to Samosir.
Meanwhile, there are 2 Hercules flights are flown from Halim Perdanakusumah Airport Jakarta and Abdul Rachman Saleh Malang, respectively, both are scheduled to transport more than 150 paragliding athletes from DKI Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, East Java, Pekanbaru, Padang, Bali, Kalimantan and Sulawesi. The presence of these athletes is to enliven Lake Toba Festival 2013, held from September 8 to 14, 2013.
These national paragliding athletes are believed to have earned quite good achievements. One of them is Lis Andriana who at the beginning of last August successfully earned the fourth place in Paragliding Championship at World Games in Cali, Colombia. In 2012, Lis earned the title of Woman Paragliding World Champion for Precision Landing at the series of PGAWC (Para Gliding Accuracy World Cup).
Other main sports besides Solu Bolon competition is World Super Swim, featuring 4 international swimming champions, namely Thomas Lurz from Germany, Spyridon Gianniotis from Greece, Martina Grimaldi from Italia and Poliana Okimoto from Brazil which will swim in Lake Toba encircling Samosir Island. There will also be fold swimming competition with 1000 amateur swimmers taking part at the event.
From the historical side, Lake Toba Festival proudly presents World Drum Festival, involving famous percussionists from 7 countries, which are the United States, Africa, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar and Indonesia. In addition, Lake Toba Festival will also be enlivened by a number of cultural events showcasing Sigale-gale Carnival featuring typical Bataknese custom of Sigale-gale, Gorga, Ulos (traditional Bataknese cloth), Gondang (percussion), topeng Batak (Bataknese mask) and tandok (cane made rice container). In addition, a singing competition will be held as a part of Lake Toba Festival. Currently, there have already been 1000 participants registered for the competition.
