VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Arborek Tourism Village in Raja Ampat Regency, West Papua has a quite unique welcoming tradition, namely Injak Piring tradition. Local people know this tradition by the name of Mansorandak. Mansorandak is a tradition that has existed for a long time in Papua, including in Arborek Tourism Village. This tradition has its own philosophy for people who have just set foot on Arborek Island. In the local language, “Mansorandak means 'to wash your face', which means celebrating the first person who comes to our place.

Citing the Indonesian Intangible Cultural Heritage site, managed by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, Mansorandak tradition is a ceremony to welcome people who leave or return from a recently visited place. This tradition is also interpreted as gratitude because the person returns or arrives safely. The Mansorandak tradition is not only carried out to welcome guests who have just set foot in Arborek Village, but this tradition is also done by local residents to welcome their families who are visiting a place for the first time.

According to the Indonesian Intangible Cultural Heritage site, the welcoming will be done at the place according to the type of transportation used by the person. For example, if the nomad is on a boat, the nomad will be greeted at the dock. This tradition begins with the Flower Bath procession on a traditional plate. Next, the nomad will enter a special room in the house along with his/her family and must go around nine traditional plates for nine rounds. This procession ends with stepping on a crocodile replica as a symbol of the challenges, sufferings and tests of life that will accompany the person’s way of life.

This procession ends with eating together. They eat traditional food consisting of main course such as meat, fish, betel and areca nut which are hung at the top of the house and can only be eaten once the elders give instruction. As time goes by, this tradition is now carried out only by pouring water on the nomad before entering the house without circling plates and eating together.