Tabot Festival is a traditional ceremony as a reminiscence of heroic action by Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Hussein bin Ali bin Abi Thalib, who died in a war in Karbala, Iraq. The tradition was brought to northern Sumatra by Muslim traders from southern India. Thus nowadays, same tradition can be found in some other regions as Painan, Pariaman, and Pidie in Aceh.

Locals make decorated wooden storey buildings named tabot. The building symbolizes crate to keep holy book of Taurat with belief that if the book lost, the owner have catastrophe ahead in his life.

Tabot Festival is now an annual tourism activity in Bengkulu, held ten days in Islamic calendar of month Muharram. On its peak, people parade the tabot to Karabela (cemetery of Syekh Burhanuddin) and throw them to a lake beside the cemetery.

(by nurulimansupardi)