Culture: Intrudu Water Festival

Malaysian Water Festival was held recently at Pantai Chenang Langkawi from 9 to 11 April. The water festival is aimed to to bring Malaysia coastal and river with more water activities. Water activities are like boat race, kayak, dragon boat, fishing or just to popularize some beautiful beaches.

For Melaka, we have a special watering festival, but not exactly mean for river or the sea, it is on land itself. The Intrudu. It’s the Melaka Portuguese community water festival or they call it Pesta Intrudu. A bit similar to the water festival at Southern of Thailand were the call it Songkran Festival. This year Intrudu was held at 14th February.

Intrudu is celebrate by Melaka Portuguese community as a symbol of cleansing the sin. The ceremony will be held every year with the initiative from the Melaka Portuguese community Regedor. At early in the morning, water drums will be prepared along the road of the Portuguese Settlement at Ujong Pasir . Then they will wait for everyone that will walk along the road.

In Melaka Portuguese Kristang language they called it ‘Pincha Agu. When everybody walk along the road they will be splash with the water. The ceremony then continued until afternoon and all the villagers will take part. At the evening, the village will be served with a parade called ‘Branyo Rudia’ that decorated with song and dance ‘Jingling Nona’. This Intrudu Festival is celebrate according to their Catholic Calendar.