Kaamatan festival known as Tadau Kaamatan by the local is the main event in the Sabah festival calendar. Kaamatan festival is a manifestation of Creator and Creation relationship, as well as inter-creations relationship. It embodies the principal acts of invocation of divinities, appeasing, purification and restoration, re-union of benevolent spirits, and thanksgiving to the Source of All. It is part of a complex wholesome Momolian religious system centered on the paddy rites of passage and the life cycle of Bambarayon - the in-dwelling spirit of paddy.
Kaamatan festival apex was celebrated at the Unity Hall known as Hongkod Koisaan where the priestess familiar with the spirits of the pagan native perform a ritual called 'magavau' to nurse the spirit of the grain back to health in readiness to plant again for the coming season. People from every ethnic across the state of Sabah come to the Unity Hall to celebrate the season of harvesting, showing off their cultural roots and attend the local beauty pageant Unduk Ngadau. Photographers came from all around the state and nation to capture the local beauty with their local traditional costume. It is not usual to see the local wearing the traditional costume unless for special events or traditional function.
Kaamatan festival is full with local wearing a colorful traditional costume from every different ethnic in Sabah. Kadazan and Dusun celebrate their annual harvest festival joined by other ethnic such as the Bajau, Murut, Rungus and lots more. Each of the ethnic was given chances to present their own traditional cultural life for the local and tourist to see. Many took this chance getting to know more about the life and the culture of the natives. I took this opportunity to photographing the rare chances portraits where the locals once in a year wearing their beautiful traditional costume.
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