The rain handler of the Mandalika Circuit, Rara Istiani Wulandari, was praised by foreign media and MotoGP accounts for his action in carrying out a ritual to ward off rain.
Rara as the rain handler of Mandalika also became the main focus at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia, the official name of the Mandalika MotoGP, in addition to the competing riders.
By foreign media, the Mandalika MotoGP rain handler was considered successful in helping to relieve the rain at Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit.
Let the handler erase your tracks….????
This is Indonesia with the diversity of ancestral cultures.
Thank you mba Rara?????????????????? #pawanghujan #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/mf6GQMS5Yh
— Dedek???????? (@Lemp3r) March 20, 2022
German-language foreign media SpeedWeek on Sunday (March 20, 2022) reported that the Mandalika MotoGP circuit had been drenched in heavy rain before the race which started at 16.00 WITA.
The rain handler is then placed at the start/finish line, and the woman performs her actions with various rituals to help ease the rain.
“A female rain handler was assigned to repel when lightning, thunder and monsoon rain hit the 4.3 km long GP track,” wrote SpeedWeek.
“In Indonesia, the rain handler is someone who is trusted by the community to control the rain and even the weather.”
“The rain handler services in Indonesia are usually used for big events, such as weddings, music concerts, and sporting events,” he continued.
At the end of the article, SpeedWeek praised the rain handler Mandalika’s success by writing, “His condition has improved significantly.”
Apart from SpeedWeek, another foreign media with a view to the rain of Mandalika Rara Istiani Wulandari is Mundo Deportivo, which speaks Spanish.
“This week they (the Mandalika MotoGP committee) assigned the rain handler to perform a rain-fighting dance. This service is usually used at large events such as weddings or music concerts,” wrote Mundo Deportivo on Sunday (March 20, 2022).
Praised on MotoGP Official Account
Rara Istiani Wulandari as a rain handler at the Mandalika Circuit was also praised by the official MotoGP account.
In his upload on Twitter on the day of the race, the official MotoGP account uploaded a video of the ritual that Rara did to ward off the rain.
“The master… #IndonesianGP,” he wrote in the caption while including the Indonesian flag.
As of Monday (March 21, 2022), the 17-second video has received 2.9 million views, 47,700 retweets, and 113,400 likes.
About 33 minutes after uploading the video, the official MotoGP account updated with a tweet, “It worked!” and a thanking hand emoji.
IT WORKED! ????#IndonesianGP ????????
— MotoGP™???? (@MotoGP) March 20, 2022
The MotoGP in Mandalika ended with Miguel Oliveira coming out as champion, followed by Fabio Quartararo and Johann Zarco.
Meanwhile, Rara Istiani Wulandari, as the rain handler for Mandalika, claimed that she was part of the team recommended to modify the weather with the power of prayer, and was recommended directly by the Minister of SOEs, Erick Thohir.
