Ondel - ondel ( Traditional dance from Jakarta )

Ondel - ondel

        Ondel - ondel is very popular in Jakarta. It is a giant with a horrible face. The male ondel - ondel is dressed like a man. He has a sword at his hip and shawl over his shoulder. The female ondel - ondel has a pair of earrings. She also has a shawl over her shoulder. Their heads are decorated with colorful paper strings.

        Ondel - ondel is made of bamboo structure. Its face is made of wood-mask. Its hair is made of palm-fibre. A man inside the structure moves it. The movement is very clumsy. Its arms are dropping.

       A pair of ondel - ondel are usually performed to celebrate a boy's circumcision. Traditional music, i.e. gambang kromong, qasidah, tanjidor or gendang pencak, accompanies the procession. Of course children are interested to follow it.

          In the old days, people believed that a couple of ondel - ondel were manifestation of a god and a goddess who would protect the circumcised boy from danger or evil. Now ondel - ondel is performed to welcome guests in opening ceremonies held in Jakarta and places nearby.