Governors bring soil, water in ritual to build new Indonesia’s capital

JAKARTA, Mar 14, 2022, Jakarta Globe. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and his governors’ recent “Kendi Nusantara” ritual at the “kilometer zero-point” of new state capital Nusantara in East Kalimantan has marked a historic milestone for the city’s development, Jakarta Globe reported.

The Kendi Nusantara ritual consists of pouring soil and water taken from every province in Indonesia into a large jug made of copper. This ritual is as a symbol of how all Indonesians across the archipelago, while living in a cultural diversity, come together to build the new state capital.

On Monday, governors of all 34 provinces brought two kilograms of soil and a liter of water from their respective regions at Nusantara’s kilometer zero point.

The governors had taken the soil and water from places in that portrayed the respective provinces’ local wisdom. Even the pouring vessels that the governors had used varied, representing each region’s uniqueness.

During the ritual, the governors took turns handing over their soil and water for Jokowi to pour into the Kendi Nusantara jug.

“We have united the soil and water brought by the 34 governors at the place where Nusantara will be. My profuse thanks to the 34 governors. This embodies the diversity and strong unity in building Nusantara,” Jokowi said during the Kendi Nusantara ritual, as broadcasted by the Presidential Secretariat’s Youtube channel.

The Kendi Nusantara ritual was followed by a tree-planting ceremony, during which the governors planted trees native to their provinces. Jokowi and First Lady Iriana planted red meranti (shorea leprosula) and camphor tree (dryobalanops aromatica) respectively.

Jokowi is planned to spend the night camping at Nusantara, together with the five governors of Kalimantan.