After a months-long interruption, Indonesia's rain shamans who conduct ceremonies to keep rain away, are back in business, with large-scale events now permitted under eased coronavirus restrictions.
In a nation that experiences sudden monsoon downpours for months each year, these rain shamans are often hired to keep weddings, concerts, and even government events rain-free. Ki Joko's first day back on the job involved an outdoor wedding in Bekasi, West Java, attended by 400 people, on a day when the weather forecast predicted storms and a 75% chance of rain.
Ki Joko comes from an ancestral line of Balinese rain shamans, and has been a "pawang hujan" for decades, picking up the craft from his mother in his late teens.