The Annual Bidar Race is well worth incorporating into your plans on the off chance that you visit Palembang around Independence Day, August 17.
The Annual Bidar Race happens at Musi River. Sriwijaya Festival each June-July performs social attractions and fancy watercraft races.
Though usually celebrated in conjunction with Indonesia’s Independence Day, the Bidar (canoe) Race deserves a special mention! It’s among the most popular festivals in the Palembang region of South Sumatra.
When we think about Indonesia, we think of beautiful beaches and lush greenery, colorful clothing, and scrumptious food, fascinating dances, and inspiring music.
Throughout the year, a variety of festivals in Indonesia are celebrated, including the Bidar Boat Race. Vietnam is really wonderful, too. In August, you can find lots of bidar races on the Musi River in Palembang, in southern Sumatra.
The annual Bidar Race on the Musi River is well worth your time if you visit Palembang around Indonesia’s Independence Day on August seventeenth.
It’s a delight to watch the large hardwood boat race over the water. A long time ago, Palembang was surrounded by the Musi River and 108 tributaries. For its area security, fast boats were needed.
The Palembang Sultanate formed a river patrol using Pancalang boats. Pancalang means a fast sailing boat. These boats were the first Bidar boats. The boat races have been held since the Palemba
ng Darussalam Sultanate.
They were called “kenceran” by some local people. An Indonesian encyclopedia says the Pancalang boat was used as a transport vessel and a trading vessel on the river.
It has a moveable sunshade of bamboo laths, a rudder, and bamboo oars. A boat can be more than 20 or 30 meters long and is usually adorned in bright patterns. Nowadays, a Bidar boat has a different shape than in the past.
There are two types of boat: The high-performance boat is 12.7 meters long, 60 cms high, 1.2 meters wide, and has 22 oars. This type of boat can be seen on Palembang’s anniversary, June 17.
The
traditional Bidar boat has a length of 29 meters, a height of 80 cms, and a width of 1.5 meters with 55 oars.
Thousands of spectators admire the decorated racing boats and watch swimming competitions and the Bidar Boat Race. The participants are often teams from local companies and government agencies, but I believe it is open to the public.
Anyone who has the stamina to row a bidar boat can join the competition. In 2019, the winning team was from a local company called PT.
Agung Raya, followed by the local Transportation Department team and the Youth and Sports Department team. I think every team trains for the race.
Another activity that attracts a lot of attention is the Parade Perahu Motor Hias or decorated a motorboat parade. Participants decorate t
heir motorboats with local cultural themes.
