The slopes of Mount Merbabu, specifically in Warangan Village, Pakis, Magelang, Central Java, vibrated once again with the creative energy of artists from the Lima Gunung Community. On Sunday (12/7), they organized the 25th Lima Gunung Festival (FLG), a grand event that serves as a platform to showcase the richness of local arts and culture.
This festival involved artists who work as farmers from five iconic mountains in Central Java: Merapi, Merbabu, Menoreh, Andong, and Sumbing. The art parade held during the event symbolized the union of spirits from these various mountainous regions to keep ancestral traditions alive amidst modernization.
A key characteristic and the main strength of this festival is its strictly upheld principle of independence. The entire program was organized without relying on corporate sponsors. The festival's funding came entirely from community self-help and was executed through the spirit of mutual cooperation, reflecting the community's sovereignty in purely expressing their cultural identity.
