Attraction of Paraga

Attraction of Paraga

Ocha Alim

DID you know that the ancestor of takraw football is pa'raga or sepak raga? This is an unique attraction that combines elements of quickness and self-defense. Attraction of pa'raga is still played by young people in Makassar until now.

Similarity with pa'raga, takraw football is equally using rattan ball and played with foot. But pa'raga demonstrates the extraordinary attraction, not just kicking the ball so that falls to the opponent area as takraw football.

Pa'raga players are usually young people who trained well. They wear custom cloth such as passapu (typical triangle-shapped head cover), baju tutup (typical coat), and and lipa sabbe (typical sarong made of silk), they demonstrate the game.

Pa'raga players consist of three to six people. The game starts with cross over the ball from foot to foot. Then, they form stack formation in which one of them up and stand on the shoulders of the other players. The formation becomes higher into two even three-flats.

Ball kicked from bottom to top through one player to another. Until the end of the formation, the young man in top row has to maintain the ball in his leg. Brevity of youth is amazing.

Before grow become takraw football, ma'raga (raga movement) is the self-defence movement. The

games

sport emerged from a village called Ujungbulo located outside Makassar City.

Initially, these are only movements without accompanied by drum, gong, and traditional trumpet. Kingdom of Gowa gave it music element to attractions of pa'raga so this game is not just an ordinary attraction but became attraction that has elements of aesthetics.

During the penetration of Islam Religion at area of Gowa Kingdom, pa'raga became effective media to spread the religion among the people. Until now nuance of Islam in this game still feels thick. Pa'raga players always pronounce the sentence of La Ilaha Illallah (there is no god except Allah) whenever they play the attraction.

Delegation of South Sulawesi is almost always bringing pa'raga players to foreign country. In Makassar, pa'raga can be witnessed in reception ceremonies or in Losari Festival that held every November.