On the Spot

The longest batik rolled in the middle of thousands attendees/ Photos: Firman TNOLRight on the Car Free Day held in Jakarta (31/10), Indonesia United Cabinet Ministers' Wives (SIKIB) and ndonesian Batik Foundation held Indonesian Batik Fun Walk.

Hundreds of participants attended the fun walk were wearing all Batik attributes to commemorate Batik National Day on October 2nd.

Cheered up with BatikOn that date, UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) defined Batik - the world recognized Indonesian cultural heritage - as one of non-object world heritage.

Moreover, the world's longest batik was awarded the Guinness Book Of Records over 446.6 meters in 2005, also paraded together from the Hotel Indonesia Roundabout to Monas.

Start..."Today we also want to achieve MURI recognition as the most wearing batik attributes," Titik Djoko Sumargono, the spokeswoman of Fun Walk commitee, which is also the wife of former chairman of Bakosurtanal sa, Djoko Sumargono, said to TNOL.

The longest was 450-patterned batik motifs taken adopted from all provinces in Indonesia and was undertaken by hundreds experienced batik workers across Indonesia.

"We just did the preparation last week, by washing and cleaning the batik by using vacuum cleaner. The originality and refinement batik is still good, " she added.

That morning, along Thamrin street from the monument to the Roundabout HI, looked like the ocean of batik. Because the event was also enliven by cyclists who enliven the Car Free Day.

Chairwoman of SIKIB Ratna Djoko Suyanto (kiri) dan Titik Djoko Sumargono..According to the Chairwoman SIKIB Ratna Djoko Suyanto, this activity is expected to increase public awareness of cultural heritage, especially batik clothes.

"We wish Indonesian batik could be like Kimono in Japan, so it would not extinct," she said.

"Developing Indonesian batik is also promoting the prosperity of batik artists across Indonesia. So, batik will be our national identity," Ratna explained.

Awarded the MURI recordThe event also featured Solo Batik Carnival, batik market, and musical entertainment. The committee did not limit the number of participants, but anyone who is wearing a batik or batik pattern were welcomed to the event.

Several ministers and former ministers of United Indonesia Cabinet and wife were also seen enliven the Fun Walk which began at 06.00 am until 11.00 pm.