The History and Heritage of Liang Ndara Village

Liang Ndara is one of the villages in West Manggarai Regency, Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara Province. The village is located approximately 20 km from the regency capital, Labuan Bajo, with a travel time of around 45 minutes. Liang Ndara is especially known for having several cultural studios that often perform the Caci dance at both regency and national levels.

Although the main tourist attraction of Liang Ndara Village is the highly popular Caci performance art, the village also has other potential attractions, particularly its natural beauty, due to its location at the foot of Mount Mbeliling. Administratively, the village consists of three hamlets: Liang Niki I (Melo), Pate Kantor (Cecer), and Liang Niki II (Mamis). In terms of settlement, Liang Ndara Village comprises three neighborhoods: Melo, Cecer, and Mamis, with the village center located in Melo.

Overall, Liang Ndara Village is a highland area with hills and slopes of Mount Mbeliling. Mount Mbeliling serves as a water catchment area in the Manggarai highlands, providing springs for the surrounding region, including the town of Labuan Bajo.

The name Liang Ndara comes from a cave located in Wae Moto Hamlet, which is now a separate village called Compang Liang Ndara, formed from the subdivision of Liang Ndara Village. “Liang” means cave, and “Ndara” means shelter. Ancestors hid there to escape attacks from colonizers and wild animals during the Bima Sultanate. The ancestors who took refuge in Liang Ndara came from Gorontalo, Sulawesi. The cave became their dwelling place. Today, their descendants have spread across several villages in Komodo District, Mbeliling District, and Sano Nggoang District.

The Liang Ndara Cave is a natural cave with historical significance and has become a tourist asset for West Manggarai Regency.

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