What's common between Williams' Formula 1 driver Alex Albon, the world-beating Paris Saint-Germain team and National Football League star Travis Kelce? They have all taken to the viral 'aura farming' trend engulfing social media currently. It originated from an 11-year-old boy Rayyan Arkan Dikha in Indonesia, whose cool dance moves atop a long racing boat have the online sphere in raptures.
Dikha appears in TikTok videos wearing sunglasses and essays the role of 'Togak Luan': the dancer in the boat's front tasked with enthusing the crew. Dikha has participated in boat races since he was all of nine, and was making his debut at the national Pacu Jalur boat race. 'Pacu' implies race and 'Jalur' means the long canoe-like boats that are employed in the race.
In the viral videos, Dikha is in his traditional attire — Teluk Belanga with a Malay Riau headcloth. Standing on the tip of the swiftly moving boat, Dikha blows kisses to his left and right before smoothly moving his arms, all while appearing fully unfazed.
Boat racing is a big part of various countries' cultural tradition, including India. The Nehru Trophy Boat Race, a popular snake boat race of Kerala, is an annual fixture. So is 'Hiyang Tannaba', a Manipuri boat race held on the occasion of 'Heikru Hidongba' (yearly socio-religious ceremony).
What Is Aura Farming?
The 5th standard student from a village in Kuantan Singingi Regency has since made waves in more ways than one, and been named a cultural ambassador by the governor of Riau, the province he belongs to. His dance is said by many to signify aura farming, internet speak for looking cool while building charisma (or 'rizz'), at its best.
The expression aura farming became famous in 2024, largely referring to anime characters and celebrities. While it generally refers to someone who does something repetitive to build said aura, Dikha says it was a spontaneous act. "I came up with the dance myself. It was just spontaneous," he was quoted as saying in a BBC report.
What Dikha's Mother Feels
His mother Rani Ridawati's worry, the report added, is that Dikha "might fall", but him being a strong swimmer bodes well. "The main concern is that he might fall. Sometimes if he falls accidentally or suddenly, I worry he might get hit by the paddles. But if he falls, there's already a rescue team. The rescue team is in place," she was quoted as saying.
Having been named cultural ambassador earlier, the 11-year-old and his mother were invited to Indonesian capital Jakarta to rub shoulders with the country's ministers of culture and tourism, and to appear on national television. He said that he was "happy" that his dance had become world famous. "Every time my friends see me, they say 'you're viral'," he was quoted as saying in the report.
