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Indonesia is an archipelago made up of more than 17 thousand islands, home to more than 300 ethnic groups speaking more than 700 dialects. Indonesian region has been a central location along ancient trading routes connecting the Far East, South Asia, and the Middle East. As a result, the cultural practices in the region have been heavily influenced by a variety of religions, including Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, and Islam, which are all prominent in the major trading cities. This has led to a complex mixture of cultures that are often distinct from the original indigenous cultures. This makes it one of the world's most diverse and culturally rich countries.

Nowadays, it becomes apparent that globalization processes tend to erode the unique local culture of a nation by replacing it with a more homogeneous global culture.

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The rich variety and taste of Indonesian cuisine have been utilized as a strategic means to boost the country’s tourism industry. In the past few years, the Indonesian government has extensively promoted culinary tourism to the international market.

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Traditional clothing in Indonesia has significantly shaped the country’s culture, influencing art, fashion, social norms, and even politics. Also, it continues to evolve and adapt, influencing contemporary fashion and design.

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Folktales in Indonesia showcase the country’s rich cultural heritage, shaping societal norms, traditions, and the arts. They are a testament to Indonesia's ability to harmonize tradition with modernity.

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Rendang from Padang is a traditional Indonesian dish and is often called one of the best dishes in the world. It perfectly combines tender beef with aromatic herbs and spices. Legend has it that the Minangkabau people took this dish with them on long journeys. They needed food that could be easily preserved, but would not lose flavor and freshness. The Minangkabau cooked beef with traditional spices and coconut milk for about 7-8 hours, which gave the meat an unusually tasty flavor and kept it fresh for a long time. ₍₁₎

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Pempek in Palembang is a traditional fish pie made from minced meat and tapioca. In addition, it is served with noodles and sliced cucumbers. Legend has it that this crispy snack originated when a Palembang resident created a new recipe by coating minced fish meat in tapioca and deep-frying it. When he realized how delicious it was, he rode his bicycle around his village to sell the dish. Soon after, pempek became a popular snack and is still a favorite among Indonesians. ₍₁₎

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The sarong is a strip of colored cotton fabric that is wrapped around the waist (or the middle of the chest for women) and covers the lower part of the body to the ankles, like a long skirt. These clothes are suitable for both men and women.

Distributed in many Asian countries such as Malaysia, India and Indonesia. ₍₁₎ ₍₂₎ ₍₃₎

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Borobudur is a Buddhist stupa and the associated temple complex (chandi) of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition. Borobudur is located on the island of Java in Indonesia in the Central Java province. Borodur is close enough to Prambanan. Borobudur was built between 750 and 850 by the rulers of the Mataram state from the Sailendra dynasty. The name may come from the Sanskrit "vihara Buddha Ur", which translates to "Buddhist temple on the mountain". Borobudur is one of the most popular tourism destination in Indonesia.

According to researchers, the structure can be considered as a huge book for pilgrims. As pilgrims make a ritual walk around each tier, they become familiar with the life of the Buddha and the elements of his teaching.

The three levels symbolize the three spheres of residence - Kamadhatu (sphere of passions), Rupadhatu (sphere of forms) and Arupadhatu (sphere without forms). ₍₁₎

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Architecture is often considered to be a cultural symbol and a work of art of a particular place. In this case, Indonesian architecture reflects the diversity of Indonesian culture.

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Ganesha is a slightly unusual god, who is depicted with an elephant head and four arms. Ganesha is considered the god of wisdom, intelligence and writing, as well as the patron of beginners and travelers. Due to his significance, Ganesha is often celebrated in songs and poetry, and his images are found everywhere - from temples and shrines to jewelry and souvenirs. ₍₁₎ ₍₂₎ ₍₃₎

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Kebaya is the national costume of women from Indonesia, although it is more accurately suited to the Javanese, Sundanese and Balinese peoples. It is sometimes made from a sheer material such as silk, fine cotton or translucent nylon or polyester, decorated with brocade or floral embroidery. The kebaya was usually worn with a sarong. ₍₁₎ ₍₂₎ ₍₃₎

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Ketoprak in Jakarta

Ketoprak in Jakarta is a traditional tofu salad. It consists of fried tofu, hard-boiled eggs, ketupat or steamed rice cakes, vermicelli rice noodles, bean sprouts, cabbage and cucumbers. It's topped with a delicious peanut sauce and sweet soy sauce and topped with fried shallots and krupuk.

It is said that this dish originated when a man who only ate steamed rice cakes and bean sprouts decided to add whatever he had at home to it. So, he crushed peanuts, garlic and chillies and added water to make a thick sauce. He added this peanut sauce to his simple ingredients and created this dish. ₍₁₎

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Prambanan is a complex of early medieval Hindu temples (chandi), located in the central part of the island of Java, 18 km east of Yogyakarta, close enough to Borodur.

According to legend, Prambanan Temple was built because of unrequited love. When Prince Bondowoso of Bandung asked Jonggrang to marry him, she decided to refuse him because she believed that he had killed her father, King Ratu Boko. However, she tried to cheat by setting an impossible task for the groom: to build a temple with 1000 statues in one night. If he completed the task, he could marry her. This request was almost done before sunrise. But Jonggrang asked the locals to imitate the dawn by lighting fires so that the surrounding area became as bright as day. Feeling that he had been deceived, Bondowoso completed only 999 statues, and he cursed Jonggrang, and she was petrified. However, God Shiva intervened in this dramatic showdown and the petrified body became the last statue, completing the number of 1000 statues and becoming the most revered statue. ₍₁₎

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Huge traffic jams and undeveloped infrastructure form an unique culture of using various methods of transportation and driving habits.

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Some hundred years on, sport remains a vital cog in the making and remaking not only of the nation, but, also of the different regions and cities throughout Indonesia and it can affect other aspects of its culture.

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Silat has been known in the Malay Archipelago since the 7th century. It is considered the original martial art of the Malays who inhabit the coast of Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula. When Islam began to spread in Southeast Asia in the 14th century, it was taught along with silat. Silat played an important role in the history of most regions. During the Dutch rule in Indonesia and the British rule in Malaysia, silat was banned, especially after the rebellion of the 1920s and the Youth Pledge in 1928 (one of the points of the pledge was a demand for independence), and was practiced illegally. ₍₁₎ ₍₂₎

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This unusual stone is located at the Air Manis Beach in Padang, West Sumatra. According to legend, there lived a poor family. A mother's son wants to become rich to support his mother. He worked very hard, he sailed across oceans to other parts of the world so he could give money to his mother. However, a few years later, he returns as a very rich man and refuses to help his own mother. She, in grief and sadness, curses him to turn into stone, which later happened. ₍₁₎

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Three main religions shaped the culture of Indonesia and it is reflected in the arts, traditions, and social norms of the country. As noted by an observer from United Nations Development Programme: religion and faith play an essential role in Indonesia's varied cultures. ₍₁₎

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Pinisi are two-masted sailing ships that are built from wood and leather. They are shaped like Arabian dhows and rigged with slanting sails similar to European schooners. Pinisi can be from 20 to 35 meters in length and displace up to 350 tons. Masts can reach 30 meters in height above the deck. Pinisi appeared around the 14th century on the Indonesian archipelago and served for the transport of goods, passengers, fishing and tourism. During its construction, supernatural power was also needed; at each stage of construction, local residents performed ceremonies and rituals, because they believed that this would help them receive blessings and protection from evil spirits. This masterpiece of ships traveled even to Australia. ₍₁₎ ₍₂₎ ₍₃₎

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Barong is a fantastic creature that comes in different forms. There are only 5 of them in Bali, and each of them protects its territory from evil spirits. He can appear in the form of a wild boar, tiger, snake, dragon and lion. According to the Balinese, a person can be very bad and very good, but he will never become a symbol of good, because both opposites are present in him - good and evil, and evil is often so strong that it completely suppresses good. There is no such force of good that would defeat evil in a person, therefore the symbol of good is always contained in a non-human being. ₍₁₎ ₍₂₎ ₍₃₎

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Rangda is considered the embodiment of demonic power on the island.

Her face, carved from stone or wood, is always covered with a white veil, so that someone does not accidentally see this embodiment of evil and bring misfortune upon themselves. In addition to the main priest in the Temple of the Dead, there is another minister who wears a witch mask during Rangda's dances. ₍₁₎ ₍₂₎

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The story begins with the fact that an old childless widow wanted a child. She goes to a powerful giant called Buto Ijo for help with this proposal. Buto Ijo gives her a large cucumber and asks her to promise to give her first child to him to devour.

When the widow gets home, she finds a baby girl inside the cucumber. She names her Timun Mas and forgets about her promise.

When the girl had already become a teenager, the powerful giant wanted to take her away in order to feast on her, but he always failed because of the girl’s ingenuity. Buto Ijo is finally defeated when Timun Mas sprinkles salt around him that turns into an ocean and swallows him whole. ₍₁₎

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Dayaks dance at the opening ceremony of the 17th Indonesia Games held at Palaran Stadium, Saraminda

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Sports in Indonesia are popular both in terms of participation and attendance. The most popular sports in Indonesia are badminton, football, and the traditional martial art Pensak Silat. In badminton, Indonesians have had more success. In Southeast Asia, Indonesia is one of the most powerful sports nations, having won the Southeast Asian Games medal count 10 times. ₍₁₎

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Despite multiple attempts by a tiny minority of radicals in Indonesia, the communities in this vast archipelagic nation have for ages exhibited deep-seated cultural features of tolerance and openness. This unity in diversity is Indonesia’s greatest asset.

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During the period of Nyepi - the Balinese New Year, not a single airport on the island operates, and planes are even prohibited from circling over the island. Before this holiday, representatives of the Banjari local government build a huge Ogo-ogo doll, the height of which can be up to 6 meters. According to legend, she must protect the territory from evil spirits. Then, on the morning of the holiday, such a figure is carried around the towns on crossed bamboo sticks and, in the literal sense, secret competitions are held - who has the biggest and most beautiful. The Ogo-ogo pair is accompanied by a gamelan - a national orchestra of more than 10 different instruments. When the sun sets, the doll is taken to the beach and burned.

The next day, the Day of Silence, the Internet may be turned off, and tourists are asked not to go out and not make noise, so that they are not possessed by the evil spirits that descended to earth after the procession of dolls. ₍₁₎ ₍₂₎ ₍₃₎ ₍₄₎

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Piercing the onion with a sharp knife

This is done at the beginning of cooking so as not to “cry” when cutting a vegetable

Repeated rotations of the plate

Used to relieve a burning sensation in the mouth after spicy food

Ban on singing while preparing food for a young girl

If you sing, you can marry an old man

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Debus is an ancient martial art that originates from Banten Island in Indonesia. This is a traditional art that is imbued with supernatural powers and requires superhuman inner strength. People who practice debus may exhibit supernatural abilities, such as resistance to fire and sharp objects.

Today, debus continues to be popular in Indonesia and people can learn the art in various schools and clubs throughout the country. However, since this is a very dangerous art, training should only be done under the guidance of experienced instructors. ₍₁₎ ₍₂₎

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Mudik is Indonesian term when people leave their cities on the different types of transport. On this picture a lot of people make traffic jam and can stand there for a few hours. Sometimes government inrease prices for all transport to to remove traffic jams. ₍₁₎

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Buses, cars, planes and other basic transport are available in Indonesia and are used by everyone, but the most popular one is motorcycles. Motorcycles are popular in most Asian countries and are bought by everyone because of their convenience and versatility. ₍₁₎

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Christianity in Indonesia is a unique and fascinating topic that offers valuable insights into the diversity of Christian traditions around the world. Despite being a predominantly Muslim nation, Christianity has had a significant presence in Indonesia since Dutch colonial times.

Today, there are an estimated 30 million Christians living in Indonesia, making up roughly 10% of the total population. The majority of these Christians belong to Protestant denominations such as Baptist and Methodist churches, while Catholicism also plays an important role. ₍₁₎

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Islam is the largest religion in Indonesia, with 87% of the Indonesian population identifying themselves as Muslims, based on civil registry data in 2022. In terms of denomination, the overwhelming majority are Sunni Muslims; the Pew Research Center estimates them as comprising ~99% of the country's Muslim population in 2011, with the remaining 1% being Shia who are concentrated around Jakarta and about 400,000 Ahmadi Muslims as well. Indonesia is the most populous Muslim-majority country. ₍₁₎ ₍₂₎

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Blangkon, also known as belangkon, is a traditional male headdress that is commonly worn by Javanese men. Blangkon is made using a batic fabric, and there are 4 types of belangkon (Banyumasan, Kedu, Surakarta, and Ngayogyakarta) which are distinguished by their origin and shape. Blangkon is believed to have originated from Aji Saka’s story. Saka defeated the giant who owned the land of Java. Saka is believed to have created the Javanese calendar. Other theories state that the usage of this headdress was influenced by the Islamic and Hindu cultures which were absorbed by the Javanese. The belangkon is derived from the turbans that were worn by the Gujarati traders who were among the first Muslims to visit Java. ₍₁₎ ₍₂₎ ₍₃₎

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Religion forms an integral part of people's lives in the Indonesian archipelago. The biggest influence came during the 'Indianized period' from the 4th to 15th centuries, which saw Buddhism and Hinduism gain a huge following in the country. The Prambanan complex in Yogyakarta is considered the finest example of Hindu architecture; It has tall and pointed roofs that feature elaborate carvings, dedicated to the Trimurti. The Trimurti is the worship of Brahma ( the creator), Vishnu (the preserver) and Shiva (the destroyer) as the three gods/processes that complete life on earth. However, the religion practised in Bali, Java and other Hindu-dominated pockets of Indonesia combines Trimurti worship with Buddhism and local animist beliefs, so what ultimately is practised is a completely new religion. ₍₁₎

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Theatre, as in any other country, can be an important part of culture. This is well reflected in the national example of the country in the form of performances with shadow puppets. A foreign example could be Russia with famous performances that are shown all over the world.

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Indonesia is home to over 300 ethnic groups, each with its own local language. These regional languages add to the rich tapestry of linguistic diversity in the country.

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In Indonesia, etiquette – methods of showing respect – has been considered as one of the key factors in social interactions. Etiquette varies greatly depending on one's status relative to the person being interacted with. Some key points of Indonesian etiquette include:

Hierarchical relationships are respected, emphasised and maintained,

Respect is usually shown to those with status, power, position, and age

Elders must be respected by doing a salim or gently touching the head of people elder to you

Avoiding direct confirmation

Saving one's face means one should consider others' dignity and avoid them to experience shame or humiliation.

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There are a large number of languages in Indonesia, approximately more than 300. Of these, the most common are Indonesian, Javanese, Sundanese and Madurese languages.

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There are not a lot English speakers in Indonesia. However, English can be understood in many popular regions of country like Bali, Batam, Jakarta, Surabaya, and Yogyakarta. Moreover, they are widely spoken in many popular hotels from basic to even bigger English level skills. ₍₁₎

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It is video about what Wayang Puppet Theatre is

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In Indonesia, as well as in other countries, there are languages that are on the verge of their existence or those that have already died out (that is, no one speaks them). Examples of these languages are Bukat, Punan, Kayaan, Sungkung and Konyeh. In the Maluku region there are many such languages, similar to those already listed.

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Indonesia

Inscribed in 2008 ( 3.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (originally proclaimed in 2003)

Renowned for its elaborate puppets and complex musical styles, this ancient form of storytelling originated on the Indonesian island of Java. For ten centuries wayang flourished at the royal courts of Java and Bali as well as in rural areas. Wayang has spread to other islands (Lombok, Madura, Sumatra and Borneo) where various local performance styles and musical accompaniments have developed.

While these carefully handcrafted puppets vary in size, shape and style, two principal types prevail: the three-dimensional wooden puppet (wayang klitik or golèk) and the flat leather shadow puppet (wayang kulit) projected in front of a screen lit from behind. Both types are characterized by costumes, facial features and articulated body parts. The master puppeteer (dalang) manipulates the swivelling arms by means of slender sticks attached to the puppets. Singers and musicians play complex melodies on bronze instruments and gamelan drums. In the past, puppeteers were regarded as cultivated literary experts who transmitted moral and aesthetic values through their art. The words and actions of comic characters representing the "ordinary person" have provided a vehicle for criticizing sensitive social and political issues, and it is believed that this special role may have contributed to wayang's survival over the centuries. Wayang stories borrow characters from indigenous myths, Indian epics and heroes from Persian tales. The repertory and performance techniques were transmitted orally within the families of puppeteers, musicians and puppet-makers. Master puppeteers are expected to memorize a vast repertory of stories and to recite ancient narrative passages and poetic songs in a witty and creative manner.

The Wayang Puppet Theatre still enjoys great popularity. However, to compete successfully with modern forms of pastimes such as video, television or karaoke, performers tend to accentuate comic scenes at the expense of the story line and to replace musical accompaniment with pop tunes, leading to the loss of some characteristic features.

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Renowned for its elaborate puppets and complex musical styles, this ancient form of storytelling originated on the Indonesian island of Java. For ten centuries wayang flourished at the royal courts of Java and Bali as well as in rural areas.

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In a Bali theatre, demons, warriors and deities dance behind a sheet, entertaining an audience of tourists more than 500 years after they supposedly helped change the course of Indonesia.

This is a Wayang shadow puppet play, one of the country's oldest and most revered performance arts.

Dating back 1,000 years, the art form is performed by manoeuvring leather or wooden puppets behind a backlit screen, while telling ancient Hindu and Islamic tales. Wayang is performed across Indonesia, with most tourists encountering it in Bali or Jakarta. While visiting the former, I found many wayang theatres, puppet-making workshops, museums and galleries celebrating this art form.

In Jakarta, I discovered similar offerings, including the large Wayang Museum. I came across this impressive facility while wandering Kota, the 17th-century capital of the Dutch, who controlled parts of Indonesia for three centuries. At Kota's core is Fatahillah Square, a large plaza surrounded by graceful colonial buildings, including one housing the aforementioned museum.

Inside, I admired dozens of old Wayang puppets and read placards that explained their characters. Some depicted Hindu goddesses, others Islamic kings, warriors or poets. What fascinated me most about this art form, however, was the Javanese lore that states Wayang helped convert this nation from Hinduism to Islam.

Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim nation.

There are more than 240 million people adhering to the religion across this vast archipelago - the largest country in Southeast Asia, stretching 5,100km from east to west.

Tourist-soaked Bali, famed for its rice fields, beaches and thousands of majestic Hindu temples, is reputedly the only Indonesian island that is not majority Muslim. The rest of Indonesia's thousands of inhabited islands began slowly converting to Islam way back in the 1300s.

The spread accelerated in the following century partly, some historians believe, due to the influence of Muslim Chinese admiral and explorer Cheng Ho. The mariner left a large imprint in Southeast Asia from the many expeditions he led for China in the early 1400s.

At that time, a large chunk of Indonesia was controlled by the country's biggest-ever empire, the Hindu-influenced Majapahit. Visitors to Bali can wander around physical remnants of this kingdom at temples such as Pura Besakih, Pura Maospahit, Pura Dasar and Pura Sada.

After a long period of dominance, Majapahit finally waned, says Adrian Vickers, professor of Southeast Asian Studies at the University of Sydney. "Majapahit faded in the late 1400s, and various Islamic kingdoms arose to become powerful in that same period," Vickers adds.

Interested visitors can trace this power shift by heading to historic sites such as the magnificent Menara Kudus Mosque. Built in the mid-1500s in the Central Java city of Kudus, it dazzles visitors with its 20m-tall redbrick tower. The minaret was designed in the style of the Kukul watchtowers that guarded ancient Hindu temples in Indonesia.

"If you visit some of the earliest Islamic sites, such as the Menara at Kudus, you can see that the Muslim kingdoms took over a lot of the architecture and culture of Majapahit and merged it with their own beliefs and practices," said Vickers.

Curious tourists can also learn about Indonesia's religious evolution via Wayang. Many historians believe shadow puppetry was likely imported from India to Indonesia more than 1,000 years ago, along with Hinduism. The performances drew their storylines from the Ramayana and Mahabharata Hindu epics of ancient India.

To make these dense tales easier for audiences to understand, the good characters are always on the right of the screen, and their evil rivals to the left. Over the past millennia wayang became splintered, with distinct versions performed in different regions.

Balinese shadow puppet theatres, for example, most commonly use wayang kulit, a flat leather puppet. As opposed to wayang klitik, a bulkier wooden puppet employed in many other parts of Indonesia. The variety of wayang styles is matched by diverging views on its influences.

In Bali, it is widely considered to have been honed by the Majapahit Hindu empire. Javanese lore, meanwhile, focuses on Wayang's ties to nine Islamic saints, collectively known as the Wali Songo. In the 1400s, these men came from different countries to spread Islam in Indonesia, where Hinduism and Buddhism were then the chief religions.

To connect with locals, and teach them about Islam, these saints adopted local artforms. Javanese lore suggests that one such form was wayang, which became a key tool for the Wali Songo to convert Indonesians to Islam. Rather than discarding the traditional Hindu tales of the shadow puppet theatre, they tweaked them.

The updated plays popularised in Java by these saints introduced many Muslim characters and themes. One historic Javanese tale suggested these impressive performances were often held inside mosques. If locals wished to watch the shadow puppets, they were required to first state an Islamic prayer.

Slowly, due to wayang's new Islamic influences, many Indonesians became Muslim. The efforts of these nine saints have not been forgotten. Their tombs in East Java - spread across Tuban, Surabaya, Gresik and Lamongan - have become a site of pilgrimage.

Meanwhile, the shadow puppets they supposedly used to spread the good word of Islam continue to enchant crowds of tourists and locals from Jakarta to Bali. Regardless of its origins, or impact on Indonesia's religion, Wayang remains proud and popular.

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How shadow puppets helped convert Indonesia to Islam

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Traditional theatre may have played a role in positioning the Asian destination as the world's most populous Muslim nation