VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has signed Presidential Decree No. 30 of 2018 on National Wayang Puppet Day.

The decree, signed on December 17, 2018, stipulates that National Wayang Day be observed on Nov 7, every year.

Indonesian wayang has developed into a national cultural asset, with high value in building character and identity of the Indonesian nation.

The Wayang puppet theatre was inscribed in 2008 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.

This ancient form of storytelling originated on the Indonesian island of Java. Wayang has spread to other islands -- Lombok, Madura, Sumatra, and Borneo -- where various local performance styles and musical accompaniments have developed.

These carefully handcrafted puppets vary in size, shape, and style, with the two principal types prevailing are the three-dimensional wooden puppet, called wayang klitik or gol?k, and the flat leather shadow puppet, called wayang kulit, projected in front of a screen lit from behind. Both types are characterized by costumes, facial features, and articulated body parts.

Wayang shows are major social occasions. They have traditionally been featured at weddings, circumcision parties, and festivals. (ANTARA)