4 East Javanese Traditional Ceremonies You Must Know – Indonesia consists of various tribes and cultures. So that there are lots of traditional ceremonies and various traditions in the country, including in the province of East Java. Many traditional ceremonies in East Java are related to agriculture and water sources. This traditional ceremony is usually carried out as a form of gratitude to the ancestors and God Almighty. Berukur, several East Javanese traditional ceremonies that still exist today.
1. YADNYA KASADA
One of the tribes that is close to Mount Bromo, namely the Tengger tribe, has a special ritual that is routinely carried out every year. This ritual is commonly called Yadnya Kasada.
The Yadnya Kasada ceremony itself is carried out as a means of expressing gratitude. The Yadnya Kasada ceremony is carried out by making a tumpeng and bringing produce which will later be served to the summit crater of Mount Bromo on the 14th day of Kasada month according to the Javanese calendar.
In addition, it is not only the Tengger people who carry out this ritual. However, this ritual is also assisted by the government from the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park Center.
HISTORY OF YADNYA KASADA
The history of Mount Bromo cannot be separated from the story of the couple Jaka Seger and Rara Anteng. The origin of the name of the Tengger tribe itself is also taken from the couple’s name.
Jaka Seger and Rara Anteng initially built a settlement which later they both ruled in the Tengger area. They are also often referred to as Purbowasesa Mangkurat Ing Tengger , which means “the virtuous ruler of Tengger”.
In their married life, this couple is not blessed with a single child. Therefore, Jaka Seger and Rara Anteng meditated on Sang Hyang Widhi. While they were doing their meditation, suddenly a magical voice appeared saying that their meditation would be fulfilled but with one condition, that is, if they have had children, the last child must be sacrificed to the crater of Mount Bromo.
The couple Jaka Seger and Rara Anteng agreed to these requirements, so they got 25 children. However, parental instincts still don’t have the heart to lose a child, even if only one.
Long story short, the time had come to sacrifice the last child of Jaka Seger and Rara Anteng, but the couple chose to break their promise. The god became angry and threatened to bring down calamity and calamity. Then, a disaster occurred, the sky became pitch black and the crater of Mount Bromo spewed fire.
Suddenly, Kesuma, their youngest child, disappeared from sight because of the flames and entered the Bromo crater. Simultaneously with Kesuma’s disappearance, a magical voice reappeared saying “O my dear brothers and sisters, I was sacrificed by both of our parents and Sang Hyang Widhi saved all of you. Live in peace and serenity, worship Sang Hyang Widhi. I remind you that every Kasada month, on the 14th day, give offerings to Sang Hyang Widhi in the crater of Mount Bromo.
Then, after the incident, this custom was followed from generation to generation by the people of the Tengger tribe. Apart from that, once a year a Kasada ceremony is also held in the potential of the sea of sand and the crater of Mount Bromo.
THE TRADITION OF YADNYA KASADA CEREMONY
Judging from historical stories, the Yadnya Kasada ritual in Kasada month on the 14th day of the Javanese calendar is carried out with the hope that the community will avoid various kinds of disasters and distress by making offerings to Sang Hyang Widhi in the crater at the top of Mount Bromo.
This ritual is followed by people of the descendants of Rara Anteng and Jaka Seger who occupy the Tengger area in 4 district locations, namely Lumajang, Pasuruan, Probolinggo and Malang.
The offerings given to Sang Hyang Widhi at the summit crater of Mount Bromo are generally in the form of various foods, various livestock, and also agricultural products which are given voluntarily. This offering is useful to show gratitude for the sustenance that has been received by the people of the Tengger tribe.
The offerings and offerings that are floated in the crater at the top of Mount Bromo will later be contested by many people, after the people of the Tengger tribe pray for safety and blessings.
Various foods and side dishes which are part of the offerings will be placed on the crater rim, then incense sticks are stuck on it. When the offerings were thrown into the crater, many people had prepared on the slopes of the crater at the peak of Mount Bromo with tools in the form of nets used to fight over the offerings.
It is known that in the last few months of 2019, activity from Mount Bromo was considered quite active and erupted in February 2019 by releasing various volcanic materials.
However, the Yadnya Kasada ritual is still performed by the people of the Tengger tribe in the crater at the top of Mount Bromo. At that time, the status of Mount Bromo itself was still on alert level II which could make it possible for the community to carry out the ceremony.
2. KEDUK BEJI CEREMONY
The Keduk Beji Traditional Ceremony is a traditional ceremony carried out with the aim of cleaning the spring (lake) in the Tawun area, Kasreman District, Ngawi Regency. Keduk Beji comes from two words, namely Keduk and Beji. Keduk which means cleaning, while Beji is the name of the place that is cleaned.
Sendhang Beji is believed by the people of the Tawun area to be a sacred place. Sendhang Beji’s water source is used to irrigate agricultural land and to supply bathing water at the Tawun tourist spot. Beside Sendhang Beji, there is an ancestral grave from Tawun village.
According to the beliefs of the local community, Sendhang Beji has various mystical powers, so this place must be protected and sacred. Therefore, the community performs a ceremony of respect so that undesirable things such as disaster and distress do not occur.
HISTORY OF THE KEDUK BEJI CEREMONY
According to legend, in the 15th century in the Padas area (which is currently called Kasreman), Ki Ageng Metawun, a traveler who was passing through the area found a spring. Ki Ageng had two sons. The first child was named Seconegoro and the second was named Ludrojoyo. When his first child, Seconegoro, became an adult, he became a Senopati of Mataram, while his second child, Ludrojoyo, lived in the village and cared about the fate of the farmers.
The farmers feel that the water supply in their fields is lacking because the spring is in a lower place. Finally, on Thursday Kliwon, Ludrojoyo meditated by immersing himself in spring water. At midnight, suddenly the atmosphere of silence turned scary. The originally bright moonlight became obscured by thick clouds and there was a loud booming sound.
When the local people flocked to Sendhang Beji, Raden Ludrojoyo had disappeared and was not where he had meditated before. Along with this incident, sendang has also moved to a higher position than before. Then, the community did mutual cooperation to drain the water in the spring, but to no avail. They still couldn’t find Ludrojoyo.
Therefore, until now the people of Kasreman still respect this event by holding the Keduk Beji tradition.
KEDUK BEJI CEREMONY TRADITION
The Keduk Beji Traditional Ceremony lasts for five days, starting from Thursday Kliwon to Tuesday Kliwon.
On Thursday, the community will hold a tumpeng roast ceremony at the residence of a person who is the original descendant of Tawun. On Legi Friday, all the people from the four hamlets will gather together at Sarehan Sentono to hold a joint celebration.
The next day, on Saturday Pahing, there will be a Gunung Gunung event , in which the community works together to clean up the entire village environment. Then, on Sundays, the community rests and there are no activities related to Sendhang Beji.
The event was held again on Monday Wage, the community made mountains in the yard of Sendhang Beji. In addition, the community also put up janur decorations at the Sendhang Beji pavilion, and took a bath together which was attended by residents as well as the village head and started at 17.00 WIB.
Next, on Tuesday Kliwon, at 05.00 WIB the residents held a celebration event while slaughtering a goat. The peak of the event starts at 09.00 WIB, the community together cleans the village in the area around the spring. After that, just carry out the activities of cleaning Sendhang Beji which were carried out by all the residents who participated in the activity.
The rituals performed in the Sendhang Beji Traditional Ceremony are mud baths, silepan, and giving offerings. The mud bath ritual is performed by the youths, while cleaning every corner of the sendhang. At 00.00 WIB, then the diving or diving ritual is held. There will be someone chosen to perform this ritual and is usually a caretaker or descendant of village elders.
The caretaker will wear Oversized clothes, be smeared with powder, and marked with a leaf in the form of a leaf on the arm and head. Next, the caretaker will burn incense and dive for a few minutes in Sendhang Beji.
He dives while putting an offering of sticky tape water into a small jug located at the center of a water source in a cave. The meaning and philosophy of these rituals is as a form of expression of gratitude for the blessings that have been given through these springs.
3. LARUNG SEMBONYO
The Larung Sembonyo Traditional Ceremony is a traditional sea alms ceremony carried out by local people in the Prigi Beach area. Prigi Beach is located in the city of Trenggalek, East Java Province. This tradition is still carried out by the people around Prigi Beach, Trenggalek as a form of gratitude for the marine products provided by nature.
The Larung Sembonyo Traditional Ceremony has also become part of the sustainable culture known from the city of Trenggalek.
HISTORY OF THE LARUNG SEMBONYO CEREMONY
The history that is the background of the Larung Sembonyo Traditional Ceremony is the existence of a supernatural event.
This history began with the wedding ceremony of Tumenggung Yudha Negara, who came from the Mataram Kingdom. Tumenggung Yudha Negara is an envoy from the Mataram Kingdom to carry out land expansion or what is known in Javanese terms, namely babad alas .
Tumenggung Yudha Negara is believed to be a knight who has supernatural powers and is extraordinary in fighting and performing the chronicle of alas . When carrying out land expansion, Tumenggung Yudha Negara was not alone. He was assisted by his brothers.
However, the brothers from Tumenggung Yudha Negara were only given the mandate to guard and open new land in the area they visited, while Tumenggung Yudha Negara was given the mandate to continue their journey to the Prigi region.
At that time, the Prigi Beach area was known for its magical powers which were not easy to conquer. After carrying out meditation and meditation activities, finally the magical rulers of the area agreed to hand over the area to Tumenggung Yudha Negara.
However, this area was not given for free, the condition given was that Tumenggung Yudha Negara had to marry a princess named Putri Gambar Inten who was a ghost nation.
The marriage between the two worlds was held on Monday Kliwon, which is now being commemorated as the day of the Larung Sembonyo Traditional Ceremony.
THE TRADITION OF THE SEMBONYO LARUNG CEREMONY
After the supernatural event was carried out, Tumenggung Yudha Negara was able to open new land in the Prigi region. Prigi Beach can eventually be used by the community as a place to live and also as a place to make a living. Therefore, the local community feels grateful for the abundant territory and marine products by carrying out traditional ceremonies.
The traditional ceremony is called the Larung Sembonyo Traditional Ceremony which is held every Kliwon Monday in Tasik Madu Village, Prigi. Sembonyo is taken from the name of a fake bride in the form of a doll and is made using glutinous rice flour. The glutinous rice flour dough is shaped like a bride and groom and placed on a boat to be floated.
The equipment used in the Larung Sembonyo Traditional Ceremony is also equipped with offerings and offerings as in Javanese traditional wedding ceremonies. The Larung Sembonyo traditional ceremony is also often known by other names, namely Clean Sea, Sedekah Laut, and Mbucal Sembonyo .
4. FOOLS
Kebo-keboan is one of the traditional ceremonies of the Osing Tribe, Banyuwangi village, East Java province. In this ceremony, kebo-keboan or humans will be made up to resemble a buffalo. The Kebo-keboan ceremony is a form of gratitude for the Osing people for the crops they get. Besides that, this ceremony also has a function as a village clean ceremony so that the community is protected from various kinds of danger.
THE HISTORY OF THE FUCKING CEREMONY
The Kebo-keboan ritual ceremony was carried out in only two villages, namely Aliyan village and Alasmalang village. Aliyan Village is one of the villages located in Rogojampi District, while Alasmalang Village is located in Singojuruh District. The Kebo-keboan ceremony has a long history and is related to the story of Buyut Karti. Great-grandfather Karti is a figure who lived in the 18th century AD. At that time, there was a threat of an epidemic that was difficult to cure. Until one day, Buyut Karti admitted that he had a dream or an inspiration to hold a village cleaning ceremony. In the wangsit, all participants participating in the ceremony must dress up to resemble a buffalo.
Later, the use of buffaloes meant that these animals were “friends” of the farmers in cultivating the fields. Great-grandfather Karti then conveyed the inspiration he received to the surrounding community. After it was agreed, Buyut Karti and several farmers then dressed up to resemble a buffalo and this later became a tradition that is being carried out to this day.
THE TRADITION OF THE FUCKING CEREMONY
As previously stated, the Kebo-keboan traditional ceremony was carried out in two villages, namely Aliyan village and Alasmalang village. In general, the implementation of the ceremony is the same, but there are still some differences between the two villages. In Alasmalang Village, the kebo-keboan ceremony is not only a traditional ceremony but also an attraction for tourists. Meanwhile in Aliyan village, the kebo-keboan ceremony is relatively more sacred, has strong customary rules, and is carried out in a more structured manner.
1. Implementation in Alasmalang Village
The kebo-keboan ceremony in Alasmalang village is generally carried out in three stages.
The first stage, in the form of salvation using twelve tumpeng along with side dishes, sengkolo jenang, and seven servings of suro jenang. The cone is then eaten together along the village road. Besides that, village elders also perform rituals in various places that are considered sacred, such as Watu Laso, Watu Gajah, and Watu Tumpeng.
The second stage, namely parading thirty people who have been dressed like buffalo to surround the four corners of the village led by traditional leaders. Behind the procession of buffalo people, there is a carriage used by Dewi Sri. Dewi Sri is the symbol of the goddess of rice and fertility.
The third and final stage is the planting of rice seeds by buffalo humans in the fields.
2. Implementation in Aliyan Village
The implementation of the kebo-keboan ceremony in Aliyan village is carried out in five stages.
- The first stage or preparatory stage, namely the installation of colorful banners along the village road.
- The second stage, namely making puddles whose location has been adjusted to the route of the buffalo human procession. The puddle is a symbol of the rice nursery which will later produce rice grains.
- The third stage, namely the manufacture of gunungan from agricultural products. This gunungan is made from various agricultural products such as fruits which are a symbol of prosperity.
- The fourth stage, namely ider bumi, is to paraded the buffalo people all over the village.
- The fifth stage is the closing stage which is called ngurit . Ngurit is a figure who plays the role of Dewi Sri giving rice seeds to traditional leaders. By the customary leader, the seeds will later be given to the farmers to be planted.
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