Makepung Appointed as National Cultural Heritage

Makepung Appointed as National Cultural Heritage

Makepung, a bull race attraction from Negara Regency, is appointed as national cultural heritage by Ministry of Education and Culture. “The appointment is not proposed by government of Jembrana Regency, but it’s by one of universities in Bali. Before the appointment, related ministry conducting research on it first,” said Jembrana Regent, I Putu Artha, in Negara. According to him, the research especially related to the unique characteristics of mekepung, as in some regions there is similar attraction like karapan sapi in Madura and megerembengan in Buleleng regency. To compile the appointment of mekepung as national cultural heritage, the government of Negara Regency instructed all of its staffs to wear a pin with mekepung image attached on their uniform. “We also put billboard with mekepung image in some points. The obligation to wear pin and billboard of mekepung dominated by bulls, don’t have any connection to any particular political party symbol. I need to explain it because there are some people making connection to it,” he said. According to him, the attraction of bull race at rice field is an ancestor inheritance as farmers’ expression of happiness on the crops they produced. After being recognized nationwide, he said, he will encourage mekepung to be recognized as one of the world cultural heritage.