Pasola is a game played by the Western Sumbanese to celebrate the rice planting season.
The game is played by throwing wooden spears to the opponent while riding a horse. The game is played by two different groups of men from different clans or tribes.
It is a game that requires a high skill at horse riding and spear throwing skill.
It use to end up in a bloody game when the wooden spear hit the bare flesh of the participant. In the Sumbanese ancient beliefs, the spilled blood will fertilize the land and multiply the output of the paddy.
In the Wanukaka region, as part of the ritual, early in the morning the marapu priests and their entourage go the beach to perform a prayer. They sacrifice a black cock to the gods and check the heart of the cock to read the signs from the gods on whether to proceed with the pasola.
They descend to the sea afterwards to collect the colorful sea worm as part of the ritual, then proceed to the area where the game will be played.