Traditional Dances of Polewali Mandar Regency, West Sulawesi Province

Perhaps many people have recognized how beautiful Polewali Mandar Regency is. The thing is only some tourists have ever heard about a traditional dance of the region called Patuddu. In a nutshell, the locals perform the dance more than just an entertainment! According to villagers, they also perform the dance to welcome important guests. Not to mention it becomes a common attraction during special events like cultural festivals and art shows. As for tourists, it can be an interesting entertainment during the visit. They can even take some pictures of the performance and learn a little bit history of it later.

The Nuance
Patuddu Dance is only performed by girls or women. No wonder, the movements look graceful and beautiful. These dancers carry a fan as the main ornament, in fact. As for the costume, they wear traditional clothes of Mandar. Their hair is rolled up, featuring golden flower-like ornaments and hairpins. As for the accessories, they wear golden bracelets, necklace, and earrings of Mandar Tribe. What about the accompaniment? The dance features some traditional musicians who play Gong, flute, harps, and drums. It even involves various rhythms ranging from low to rapid beat.

Enjoying Traditional Dances of Polewali Mandar Regency
It is true that Patuddu Dance is a beautiful entertainment, but it also has historical value for tourists to learn. According to the locals, the dance was only performed in order to welcome important people and soldiers who were returning from the battlefield. It is because there was a big war in West Sulawesi between Passokorang and Balanipa Kingdom, after all. The Balanipa Kingdom used the dance to praise their warriors due to their bravery and merit. Once the war ended, the dance functioned to welcome important guests and kings of other kingdom.

These days, Patuddu Dance has become a tradition and local entertainment. Not to mention tourists and outsiders are able to enjoy the dance as well during their visit in Polewali Mandar. The cheerful expression and movements of dancers represent the gratitude towards someone’s arrival. Not to mention the movements look so graceful, lovely, and pure. It is because all the performers are women, so there won’t be bold and powerful moves during the performance.

Despite the old age, Patuddu Dance keeps improving over time. That means the audience may see some variations of the dance, which look interesting and fun. Due to this reason, it is recommended to hire a local guide so he may tell tourists thoroughly regarding the meaning, history, and value of the dance while watching the performance! 

Nearby Attractions

• Bahari Beach
• Tumpiling Fish Pond
• 7 Islands of Polewali
• Rawa Bangun
• Limbung Sitodo
• Limbung Kamandang
• Sarung Allo Park

How to Get There
In order to watch the dance, tourists’ main destination will be Polewali Mandar Regency. The trip may take about 4 hours if they come from Mamuju City (the capital of West Sulawesi Province), as the distance is 202.9 km. For a more comfortable trip, they should choose the right transportation service and the fastest route.

Where to Stay

• Ratih Hotel
• Lilianto Hotel
• Dirja Inn
• Mamasa Cottage
• Mery Cottage
• Indah Hotel