A bustling metropolis and a conservative capital of South Sumatra province, the co-hosts of the ongoing Asian Games -- Jakarta and Palembang are like chalk and cheese.
The two cities paint a contrasting picture even though Indonesia as a whole deals with rising Islamic influence in its sociopolitical landscape.
Jakarta seems like any other modern city, welcoming you with a sea of skyscrapers which are tall enough to hide the poor pockets of the Indonesian capital.
The hijabs that are a must for the women in Palembang, make way for the flowing locks in Jakarta. There is only one thing that unites them: their endless love for Bollywood and its famous son -- Shahrukh Khan.
Expectedly, due concerns were raised when it was decided that Palembang will be partially hosting the Asian Games alongside Jakarta.
"Yes, there were concerns. We were not sure if there were enough hotels in Palembang to meet the huge demand during the Games. The city is also traditional, a bit on the conservative side," Muhammad Buldansyah, media head of Games organising committee, INASGOC, told PTI.
"But then we had the infrastructure in place and little time. In addition to that, South Sumatra governor was more than supportive."
Buldansyah, on his part added: "There were challenges, especially in Palembang, but the OCA was satisfied with the facilities. It gave its go ahead and we tried our best."