Universitas Brawijaya (UB) in collaboration with the Director General of Cultural and Tradition Protection, the Indonesian Keris National Secretariat (SNKI), and the Malang City Government realized the Brawijaya Tosan Aji Festival 2025 as a celebration of National Keris Day and the 11th Anniversary of Malang City, on (18/4-20/4/2025) at the Samantha Krida Building GOR Pertamina UB. This event consists of many series that highlight the cultural side and explore more deeply about Indonesian keris culture.
“Our main goal is the launch of National Keris Day, exploring culture, one of which is the keris or tosan aji. We are trying to bring the culture of keris to the scope of millennial friends or gen Z. We are also trying to gather cultural figures to provide education to the younger siblings,” said Rizal Nur Alfian, S.T., M.T., as the Chief Executive, Friday (4/18/2025).
Rizal added that the activity began with the opening of a keris exhibition from collectors throughout Indonesia, followed by a talk show on the Meaning and Perspective of Brawijaya Character, and for the peak event on Saturday, the launch of keris day will be held which will be attended by the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia, Dr. H. Fadli Zon, S.S., M.Sc., as well as an international seminar attended by three speakers from three countries.
The opening of the keris exhibition was marked by the placement of a keris from President Prabowo’s personal collection in the Balinese style. This keris has nine curves that are carefully made. The sheath, which is a combination of gold and silver, protects the beautifully carved statue depicting Hindu gods and decorated with various precious stones. This keris symbolizes strength, valor, and leadership which have always been the characteristics of keris from Bali.
Collaborating with as many as thirty keris collectors spread throughout Indonesia starting from Lombok, Kalimantan, Sumatra, Bali, and also other collectors from Java, the Brawijaya Tosan Aji Festival 2025 successfully brought in hundreds to thousands of keris. The table arrangement inside GOR Pertamina UB was filled with thousands of keris, each with its own uniqueness. The audience was given the opportunity to see the various keris up close.
In addition to the exhibition, the activity was also filled with a keris forging workshop behind the Samantha Krida Building. In this activity, the audience could see and try the experience of forging a keris directly while being accompanied by experienced keris makers. Not only keris, there are also ancient manuscripts displayed in the Samantha Krida Building. These manuscripts are placed in glass shelves and accompanied by a cultural figure who explains the contents and meaning of each manuscript.
Brawijaya Tosan Aji Festival 2025 received a lot of enthusiasm. The international seminar entitled Keris in the Global Spotlight: Reserving Heritage, Inspiring Future was filled by speakers from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.
Rizal admitted that he was satisfied with the enthusiasm of the audience and was grateful for the results of this activity.
“We remind you of the ancestral culture that was indeed passed down to us, the younger generation. Hopefully, we, the young people, can also continue so that the torch does not die, so that the culture does not stop or die, so that the next generations can continue to preserve the keris culture,” he concluded.
One of the audience who is also a member of the Pasikian Prapen Community, Pande Made Barata, expressed his amazement regarding this event.
“This is very good, I see it is also related to education. One of the most important things in the world of keris in today’s era is not only preservation, but also education for young people like this. Young people, the next generation of the nation, will understand, they will love and preserve, not just talk about preserving, but these educational steps are very cool in the exhibition,” he said.
Not only coming as an audience, Pande Made Barata also brought four special keris he made to be displayed in the exhibition.
“My most special work is made of beach sand. So, I process beach sand, imitate the technique of making keris in ancient times using natural materials, including using beach sand. So, I try to re-apply ancient techniques from several failures which now produce a keris that I now present at this exhibition,” he added.
Pande Made Barata, who was with ten members of the Pasikian Prapen community, was surprised when he found out that this exhibition was held on campus. He felt that so far when he participated in keris exhibitions, the audience who came were only people who were interested in the world of keris. Brawijaya Tosan Aji Festival 2025 left a special impression because it involved all campus stakeholders, also bringing elementary, junior high, and high school students in Malang city.
“Hopefully this exhibition can be held continuously. Other regions can also imitate to create an exhibition concept that educates like this, not just commercial. Hopefully it will be held more often. My message to young people, this is your culture, your ancestral heritage. Please study it, preserve it, and love it because this is our archipelago’s heritage,” said Pande Made Barata. (EMA/UB PR/ Trans. Iir)
