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Barabai City and Hulu Sungai Tengah

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Barabai is a capital city of Hulu Sungai Tengah that is a part of South Kalimantan province. If we calculate from it extend, Barabai is a small city (town) than Martapura, Banjarbaru and Banjarmasin city. But in this city offer you with much culture, society and some special things that might be we didn't see in other place.

Original Photo from http://www.weather-forecast.com/locations/Barabai
If you are who like traveling and adventure, maybe modern things are not really interesting and usual. In Barabai city can be one of your travel destination. Because in this place quite enough offering interesting things that including in Hulu Sungai Tengah regency. In Hulu Sungai Tengah regency that called as Bumi Murakata, we can find travel destination which include cultural and tradition destination, ecological destination / natural destination, historical destination or culinary destination.
At Barabai's terminal market, travelers will find society traditions that do transaction vegetables and fruits from 21.00 at night until 09.00 in the morning. They selling traditionally in the side roadside and they crowded the market areas. The agricultural result traded over there even natural resources available one be taken in of and to other region.

Severally culture and tradition that stills is at Barabai region and its vicinity is society diligence in make tradition food as Apam, Lontong, Kikicak, Pakasam, Lamang etc. Besides related with foods, at their also offer more culture in handcraft as Manugal, making thatch roof, Purun mat, Hanau's sugar tapping (Sugar palm) and makes Bakul basket that everything it was done traditionally.

Barabai city located center of South Kalimantan province. This location closes with mountains and swamp area. Base on the location, Barabai is located in tropical is that that has high rainfall area.

Since geographical factor and ecological, therefore city society life in Barabai majority is entrepreneur and farmer over and above also available one talks shop they are clerk, employee and self-employed. Sometimes, although society available one works as clerk and employee available within they what do have to talk shop peripheral as gardener and farmer.

At Bumi Murakata we will find places that their society majorities are farmer makes them life at territorial this Bumi Murakata lives adjoin with nature. Nature becomes a part momentous one in societies living prosperity this. With marks sense that society prosperity, therefore life at territorial it makes their more requirement be reached includes in subject requirement accomplishment as rice, vegetables, fruits and meals.

According to religious life, Barabai city society has heterogeneous religion life, but its majority is moslem. Besides Islam there are also Christian, Protestant, Hindu and Buddhist.

Culture in this area who is still to be kept up and is done at Bumi Murakata for examples is masking dance, Madihin, Gipang's horse, Main Kuntau, climbing Areca nut, gong puppet shadow, puppet shadow person, and traditional telling story.
There are special culture in daily life, such as :

A. Livelihood

1. Search for Fish’s Traditionally

For keeping necessities of daily life, some of Barabai people and surrounding still find fish with traditional like fishing, melunta, mamair, mangacal etc. The wisdom of this people toward nature still preserved from generation to generation. With the modern era, rule out of possibility to change society such as using electric stun device and chemical that can be negative effect for ecosystem.

In Hulu Sungai Tengah, there is a yearly tradition hold traditionally for catch the fishes in river. It is opening river mass. People who incorporated in a few groups abuzz open the river stream that fulfill with grass and shrubs. They wait till all of groups who registered gathering in part of river. When all of they are ready, groups turn down and clean out the grass from river.

After the river clean from grass, each of group begin to catch fish with fishing gear is Hancau. In that time, nobody allowed to enter the river because there is time for enter river together for catch fish with hand or Tangguk.

2. Traditional Rice Farming

Commodity export competition in rice trade from outside of country made tight competition with local product. With inclusion of export rice, people have many alternative rice product and supply. In other side, they have to depend their independence to do farm as a form for land uses. The ways basically with traditional and a few of them use modern production tool and machine.

The farming process do manually and traditionally such as marincah, malacak, mananjang till maharit / mangatam. After that it processed with rice thresher tool, drying them and bring to ricemill.
In swamp area, people usually planting twice in a year need long process. But in hills, people also plant the rice with different method that just once in a year. This method called locally with Manugal term.

B. Trading

1. Traditional Market

Traditional Market in Barabai city and surrounding is markets that hold 1 day every week alternately in different place. Almost of them located in central of sub districts. Sellers and buyers trade variety thing such as factory products, house products or natural source (vegetables, fruits or traditional medicines). The price can be negotiable between buyer and seller.

2. Roving Vegetable Seller

Roving vegetable sellers can be found in the morning when the sun shining. This sellers come and gathered in Barabai Terminal market to packing their vegetables packet. They buy from vegetable seller, pack and bring with motorcycle. Beside with motor cycle, there are also peddle by cycle for near place around the city.

3. Apam Cake Production

Apam is one of special wet cake from Barabai. Barabai popular called as city of Apam because many people make and produce Apam. Apam cake that produced has variety base on shape. There are thin and thick, there also sweaty and tasteless.

4. Pakasam Production

When you visit in traditional market in Barabai, you will find the fish were preserve with Samu (drying rice). In locally called Pakasam. If you buy it, don’t consume directly, because Pakasam need to cook firstly before consumed. In Hulu Sungai Tengah where popular and many produced Pakasam is Pandawan sub regency exactly in Mahang villages.

Generally, Pakasam cooked fried. To make more delicious, we can combine with vegetables and seasoning like red hot chile, garlic, onion, tomato. The rest you can develop with individual taste. Beside Pakasam, there is other dishes were also preserved without Samu is Iwak Wadi which preserve in salty water.

5. Sunday Morning Free car and jogging in Dwi Warna

Now, in around the Barabai city has many relaxing place that will make us compatible and enjoyable. One of them, there are holiday time on Sunday morning in Central of Barabai is Dwi Warna Park and Yard. In around this place on Sunday morning, many people gathering with their family or friends. Some of them are jogging, cycling, aerobic, buy snack and food or they just come to see and enjoy this moment.

Usually they begin and come to there at about 7.30 until 9.30 in the morning. This location in Sunday morning made as place that familiarizes people to clean and healthy. Visitor released to bring snack, food, meal or drink or they can buy them that are available in there. But they must keep clean with put the trash in trash can. For driver or rider inhabit entrance their vehicles to this area, but suggested to parking in outside of area that is allowed. Because this is just for pedestrian and bicycle user only.

6. Maulid Celebration

Every Rabul Awal (Hijriah Year) that coincides with Great prophet Muhammad’s birthday in every year celebrating with called Mauild (Prophet Birth). This celebration enlivened by thanksgiving in almost day every day for a month. For the people who are able to, they celebrating together in one day and night.

This thanksgiving means it for increasing brotherhood and care with the other. This also means to increase their love to Muhammad as one of Muslim prophets. If one village/location holds this event, they are as host invite families, collages, and friends and also invited the Perawi (similar poet) Maulid from the other place. Otherwise, the host will be guest in different time and place.

7. Laang (palm) Sugar Harvest

There are some of people outside of Barabai city who make palm sugar from harvesting of palm tree pollen. This essential liquid put out from stem of palm fruit. This liquid processed procedural become red sugar or palm sugar. It’s one of main ingredients of Apam and Dodol made.