The highlight of the Bau Nyale festival is the theatrical dance and music drama which re-enacts the legend of Putri (Princess) Mandalika and is the basis for the magic surrounding the Bau Nyale festival.

According to legend, in ancient times, the island of Lombok was divided into kingdoms. On the south coast of Lombok there was a kingdom called Tonjang Beru. Tonjang Beru was ruled by King Raden Panji Kusuma, who was known for his wisdom and good sense, often helping the people to resolve problems and conflicts.

Thanks to the leadership of the king and his queen, Dewi Seranting, the people of Tonjang Beru lived prosperously, safely and peacefully.

The king and queen had a daughter named Putri Mandalika. The princess was very beautiful and was known throughout the land for her beauty, elegance and kindness.

When she was of suitable age to marry, princes and suitors travelled to the kingdom to ask for her hand. Among her suitors were the princes of the different Sasak kingdoms of Lombok – Johor, Lipur, Pane, Kuripan, Daha, and Beru kingdoms.

So many men wanted to marry her that it began to cause trouble between the different kingdoms and the princess became unable to choose between them without her decision causing further strife.

Two of the princes were very angry and refused to accept rejection. They were Prince Datu Teruna of the kingdom of Johor and Prince Maliawang from the kingdom of Lipur. Datu Teruna sent envoys to propose, with the threat of destroying the Tonjang Beru kingdom if his proposal wasn’t accepted. Prince Maliawang also made similar threats.

For days the princes competed for the princess, leading to tensions and threats of war between the rival kingdoms. Finally, the princess’s father gathered all the rivals together and instructed Princess Mandalika to choose her husband before sunrise the next morning.

On the 20th day of the 10th month (in the Sasak calendar), early in the morning before the call to prayer sounded, everyone gathered on the beach to hear who the princess would choose.

Just as the sky turned red on the eastern horizon, thee beautiful and graceful princess arrived, carried on a stretcher covered in gold. Royal soldiers walked to the left, right, and behind the princess in tight guard.

Climbing onto a pile of stones, her back to the open sea, Princess Mandalika turned to address the entire audience.

Fearful of causing a war, Princess Mandalika declared that – even if she loved one of the suitors – she loved her parents and her kingdom too much to cause strife. Saying that – rather than choose one, she would give herself to everyone – she threw herself into the sea, declaring that she would return each year as a sign that she would never leave her people.

Everyone searched the surrounding sea for the princess, but instead they only found masses of colourful sea-worms, called Nyale.

According to a local priest, or Dukun, the princess’s body had been transformed into these sea worms, and thus they became a traditional symbol for the Sasak people.

Other legends say that the strands of the Nyale worms are the princess’s long hair, floating in the water where she drowned.

Whether or not the stories are true, the legend continues to be celebrated and has become a parable of sacrifice for the sake of the greater good; re-enacted each year at the Bau Nyale festival as a reminder to the community.

The Putri Mandalika drama is one of the most unique and enchanting cultural performances to be found in Lombok.

The spell-binding and well-acted spectacle features beautiful and authentic Sasak costumes, traditional music, drumming, peresean (stick fighting) and gamelan; and is a fascinating insight into the life and history of our island during the times when Lombok was ruled by kingdoms and Sasak royalty.

At the end of the drama thousands of people make their way down to the beachfront to the east of the bay to see if the Nyale have started to appear. Excited crowds splash into the water carrying small nets, buckets and torches, hoping to be the first to catch a Nyale worm.

No one really knows for sure when the Nyale will appear, so anticipation is high prior to the first sighting. The first catches start around 2am and by sunrise the beachfront is an awesome sight, swarming with thousands of wet, happy people scooping up the worms with nets, buckets, shirts and anything else they can use to catch them!

The highlight of the ceremony occurs when the Dukun (local priest) wades into the sea to observe the spawning Nyale and predict the future rice harvest, based on the number of sea worms.

A good catch is a sign that this year’s rice harvest will also be good. Nyale are traditionally associated with fertility and the sea worms are often ground up and placed in irrigation channels around fields to help ensure a good harvest.

Considered a rare delicacy, the people collect the worms and eat them as a special annual feast. Nyale are sometimes eaten raw when they are caught, but more often are steamed, fried, or made into Pepes Nyale. In this popular local specialty, the Nyale are mixed with coconut and spices, then wrapped in a banana leaf and roasted over the fire.

The sea worms are rich in protein and are also believed to have aphrodisiac properties, so the feasting takes place with much amusement and gusto!