Perang Topat
Perang Topat (also Topat War ) is a festival of the Balinese people on the Indonesian island of Lombok .
Perang Topat is a Hindu festival, but is now also celebrated by the indigenous Sasak people . Meanwhile, the date is based on the calendar of the Sasak , a local ethnic group. It takes place annually just before the rice fields are planted.
Before the festival there is a dance ritual called "Gendang Beleq". The celebration itself takes place in the Lingsar Temple. The festival begins with a procession, a kind of parade with traditional Sasak music . During the festival, rice bags are cooked and used as a weapon. Two "opposing" communities use weapons in a kind of battle against each other. Getting hit by the rice bags is said to bring good luck, so the sporting aspect of the event should be neglected, the fun and the tourist effect are in the foreground. In addition to the tourist effect, the festival is also popular because it strengthens the cohesion between members of different religions, especially between Hindus and Muslims.