Kelimutu Festival

 

Known as ”Pati Ka Du’a Bapu Ata Mata” It is a Festival in honoring the ancestors at Kelimutu. Lio people believe Kelimutu is the final resting place of all souls. It is the place of our live’s journey come to an end. Pati Ka Du’a Bapu Ata Mata is the event where the Lio people sacrifices various type of food offering to the ancestors, showing their gratitude for the past year and hold prayers for blessings for the coming year.    

 

14 August is a sacred day for the Lio people. It is the time to celebrate and honor their ancestor. Annually, hundreds of people hold pilgrimage journey up to the peak of mount Kelimutu. Starting from 2014 this customary ritual was officially hosted and organized under the coordination of Kelimutu National Park and Culture and Tourism Department of Ende.

 

The procession is starts with a communal preparation and gathering at the National Park parking lot, following with the trekking up the mountain to Tiwu Ata Polo where a stone altar  is placed. The altar is the place where all the food offerings are presented. The altar becomes the center for the whole rituals and performances throughout the day. Chants and prayers accompanying the rite with hundreds of people absorbed in the wake. Once the customary ritual is concluded, people walk back down to the starting point where a series of cultural performances are held.  

 

You are invited to participate in this event. It is a unique way in celebrating white local belief in Ende – Central Flores