bau nyale: the annual sea worms festival on the island of lombok

This unique tradition is held annually on the 20th day of the 10th month in the traditional Sasak Calendar, which falls around February each year. Bau in the Lombok language means “to-catch” and Nyale is a type of sea worm that surfaces only around this time of the year. Therefore, Bau Nyale is the festive ceremony when large crowds catch the Nyale along a number of Lombok’s finest beaches.

For the people on the beautiful island of Lombok, the Bau Nyale Festival is an age-old tradition that is closely linked to the legend of Princess Mandalika.

Bau Nyale is a tradition of Lombok residents living along the south coast of the island to catch nyale worms, particularly by those who follow the Wetu telu faith. The ceremony is indeed quite unique. Nyale appears once a year at Kuta beach and Seger beach normally around February during the rainy season. They appear for two to three nights only, precisely at the time before dawn. Although the elders always say that they can predict precisely the appearance of the worms, but most of the time the predictions miss by one day, sometimes even by a week.

Until today, communities on Lombok believe that when a person is able to catch these worms, they will bring good luck in their life. Following the legend, a woman can become as beautiful as Mandalika when she eats the worms, while men will be blessed with vigor. The Nyale worms can be eaten raw or cooked. On the eve of the festival, people usually perform rites privately in their own homes.