Arts and Culture Stories and News, as well as the Five Mountains Award from Magelang
By,Jacob Ereste
Freelance Journalist
The story of the Five Mountains Arts and Culture Festival was shared by Prof. Dr. (HC) KH. Habib Khirzin from the Borobudur Muntilan area, Magelang, Central Java, on July 11, 2025, after receiving an award from the Intercultural and Interfaith Arts and Culture Community at the Tjipto Boedoyo Padepokan, Magelang.
The Five Mountains Festival, as reported on the Ministry of Education and Culture website, has become an important milestone in Indonesia’s cultural calendar. For several years, the festival has been held with a variety of activities that combine the beauty of nature, art, and culture, expressing the wisdom of local communities.
Arts and cultural exhibitions, ranging from traditional arts and culture exhibitions to photography competitions documenting local history, and workshops educating about nature and local wisdom, are the main attractions of this unique event. A Sufi dance adapted from the Sufi movements of Jalaluddin Rumi accompanied the speech by President of the Lima Gunung Cultural Association, delivered by Sutanto Mendut, following the opening prayer by H. Supandi, who had just returned from performing the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.
The Lima Gunung Award was presented to KH. Hamam Djafar, founder, caretaker, and leader of the Pabelan Islamic Boarding School. He was represented by KH. Ahmad Najib Amin Hamam, along with KH. Muhammad Habib Khirzin, International Peace Ambassador, and Father Gabriel Possenti Sindhunata SJ, founder of the Petruk Cultural Organization. Jacob Oetama, founder of the Kompas Morning Daily, and the Kiyai Kanjeng music group, led and directed by Emha Ainun Najib.
Each of the Lima Gunung Award recipients delivered a cultural speech. KH. Muhammad Habib Khirzin presented world culture and peace in Javanese kromo inggil (high Javanese) as part of an expression of local wisdom that endures the ravages of time. The awards ceremony concluded with brief remarks from the Regent of Magelang, followed by Friday prayers at the beautiful and impressive Padepokan (hermitage).
According to KH. Habib Khirzin, a truly srawung (a gathering of arts and culture) with social values that brings together intergenerational and interprofessional encounters is truly enlightening, said the Principal Patron of GMRI (Indonesian Moral Reconciliation Movement), which is actively involved in building a movement for spiritual awakening and awareness for all nations worldwide, with its headquarters in Indonesia.
Thus, the Five Mountains Festival serves as a platform for cross-cultural, cross-faith, cross-professional, and cross-generational camaraderie, upholding spiritual, social, and cultural values. This event brings together elements of the nation—artists, cultural figures, interfaith figures, and members of the community—together in a peaceful, harmonious atmosphere, away from the increasingly heated political upheaval in this country.**
Jakarta, July 12, 2025
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