Friday, April 12, 2024
Indonesia’s high-speed railway systems played a crucial role in facilitating an unprecedented number of homecoming travels, locally known as “mudik,” as millions of Indonesians marked the end of Ramadan with Eid al-Fitr celebrations on April 10. This year’s festival saw a significant increase in travelers using the new Jakarta-Bandung “Whoosh” fast train, underscoring a leap in travel technology and infrastructure development in the country.
The commencement of Eid al-Fitr was observed with traditional morning prayers held at mosques and various open-air sites across Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation. This year, Eid celebrations were particularly vibrant, with communities coming together to share meals of rice cakes and chicken curry and engage in familial festivities.
In the capital city of Jakarta, President Joko Widodo, along with Vice-President Ma’ruf Amin and other high-ranking officials, participated in prayers at the Istiqlal Grand Mosque, Southeast Asia’s largest mosque. Following the prayers, President Widodo opened the doors of the State Palace, inviting government officials and the public to partake in the day’s celebrations. The First Couple also extended their Eid greetings through a widely viewed YouTube video, promoting messages of forgiveness and unity among Indonesians.
This Eid, Indonesians were expected to make around 193 million trips to their hometowns, a significant increase facilitated by improved transportation options. Luhung Sapto Nugroho, a publicist based in Jakarta, shared his journey to Binorong, Central Java, where he participated in his wife’s family reunion. “For me, coming home for Eid is like recharging a battery. With a fully charged battery, we return to work for the next year,” Nugroho remarked, illustrating the deep personal significance of mudik.
The Indonesian government and various NGOs have made considerable efforts to ease the mudik experience this year by providing free public transport options across Java and other regions. The transportation authorities noted that the record number of nearly 30 million people from Jakarta and surrounding areas traveling to their hometowns represented a significant logistical and operational challenge that was successfully managed, in part, due to the new fast rail service.
The Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train, a pivotal component of the China-led Belt and Road Initiative, began its commercial operations last October. Since then, it has significantly reduced travel times between the two cities, enhancing the appeal of train travel during busy periods like Eid. Emir Monti, corporate manager of PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia-China, noted that the train’s daily trips increased from 40 to 50 per day starting April 6 and would continue at this heightened frequency throughout the week.
Marsudi Syuhud, vice-chairman of the Indonesian Council of Muslim Scholars and deputy chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Indonesia’s largest Islamic group, highlighted the cultural importance of mudik, a tradition that predates the spread of Islam in the archipelago and is deeply embedded in the nation’s diverse cultural fabric. “Family reunion is a long-cherished cultural tradition of all ethnic groups in Indonesia,” Syuhud explained. He emphasized that Islam enhances this pre-existing culture of kumpul-kumpul (get-together), enriching the communal bonds during Eid.
The successful integration of modern transportation technologies like high-speed rails into traditional cultural practices such as mudik not only preserves but also strengthens these traditions, making them more accessible to the broader population. As Indonesia continues to expand its infrastructure and embrace new technologies, the synergy between tradition and modernity appears set to enhance the social and cultural landscape of the nation, fostering a more interconnected and unified Indonesia.
Monday, April 29, 2024
Monday, April 29, 2024
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Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Monday, April 29, 2024
