PT KARYANUSA Ekadaya (KED) supports the preservation of the Lomplai traditional ceremony organized by the Dayak Wehea community in Diaq Lay Village, Muara Wahau District, East Kutai Regency, East Kalimantan. This support was announced during the Mbob Jengea Puen Wehea, or Lomplai 2026 festival, at the Diaq Lay Village football field.
Lomplai is a traditional harvest thanksgiving ceremony of the Dayak Wehea community, passed down through generations. The ritual expresses gratitude for the rice harvest and honors both nature and ancestors, reflecting long-standing indigenous values.
PT KED Management representative Muhammad Satria stated that the company regards Lomplai as more than an annual ceremony; it is a vital part of the Dayak Wehea community’s cultural identity in East Kutai.
“As part of a community that grows together with the people of East Kutai, we see this event not simply as a seasonal ceremony, but as a foundation of identity that strengthens harmony between humans, nature, and the Creator,” said Satria in Sangatta on Monday (May 18, 2026).
He emphasized PT KED’s ongoing commitment to maintaining positive relations with indigenous communities by supporting the preservation of culture and local wisdom near the company’s operations. He added that collaboration with customary leaders, village authorities, and stakeholders will help ensure community traditions are preserved as development progresses.
“We would like to congratulate the residents of Diaq Lay Village on celebrating the harvest festival. We hope the spirit of mutual cooperation reflected throughout these rituals will continue to strengthen the bond between the company and the community,” he said.
The Lomplai celebration begins with the Ngalak Plai customary deliberation to set the timing of the ritual. Residents then collaborate to prepare ceremonial items, including lemang (bamboo-cooked sticky rice), traditional attire, and dance equipment.
The procession continues with a village purification ritual and the erection of the Belanyung, a decorated wooden pole symbolizing grandeur in Wehea tradition. Traditional leaders and village youths also perform the Ngalak Pesat ritual, collecting holy water from the river for use in the community purification ceremony.
The event’s highlight includes performances of the Hudoq Dance and Tung Gereng Dance, both essential to the Lomplai ritual. The Pekicung ritual is also held to honor the rice goddess, with offerings sent away on a raft.
East Kutai Traditional Leader Sung Hei expressed appreciation to the Wehea indigenous community for preserving ancestral traditions. He noted that the Mbob Jengea ceremony, part of Lomplai, holds religious significance and symbolizes the community’s efforts to maintain its culture amid modernization.
“We, as representatives of the Wehea Indigenous Community, would like to wish a Happy Lomplai 2026 celebration to all members of the Wehea indigenous community as well as the leadership of the East Kutai Regency Government,” said Sung Hei.
By celebrating Lomplai, the Dayak Wehea community not only marks the harvest but also strengthens values of togetherness, cooperation, and a spiritual bond with nature passed down through generations.
Source: Pranala.co
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