INTRODUCTION

Sabah is a state in Malaysia which is situated in the northern region of the Borneo Island. Towards the south-west of Sabah lies the Sarawak state of Malaysia while towards its south is the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia.

Kota Kinabalu is the capital of Sabah. In Sabah, the western region is mountainous, the eastern and central regions have plains and lower mountain ranges.

The population of this place was 3.387 million in 2007. Throughout the year, the climate is usually humid and the temperatures range from 25 degrees Celsius to the low thirties. The wet season is from November to April and there is 120 inches of annual rainfall. There are 30 different ethnic races in Sabah and these have more than 80 local dialects.

The major indigenous groups are Murut, Bajau and Kadazan and also considerable populations of Indians, Malays and Chinese.

Wednesday, 31 July 2013


PESTA KAAMATAN

















 Sabahans consider rice to be more important than just the main staple food. There is a certain sacredness attached to it, for it is a food given to them by Kinoingan, the Almighty Creator so that his people should never want for food. He sacrificed His only daughter- Huminodun and from her body parts, padi (rice) grew. This


was Kinoingan's ultimate act of benevolence and to this day, His people repay the deed by conducting various ceremonies to honour Bambaazon, the spirit of Huminodun as embodied in rice.

The most well-known of these is Pesta Kaamatan or Harvest Festival which begins on the first of May and celebrated throughout Sabah. Of major importance to this thanksgiving ceremony is the Magavau - a ritual to invite Bambaazon to the Pesta and is conducted only by the Bobohizan or high priestess. Festivities cannot proceed without the presence of Bambaazon and it is through Magavau that the Rice Spirit is invoked.(Visit site for more information)
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