A week after Idul Fitri, many Muslims across Java hold communal feasts serving ketupat [steamed rice cooked inside a diamond-shaped pouch made of coconut palm leaves] and opor ayam [Javanese chicken stew].

In Klaten, Central Java, the tradition, known as syawalan, took place on July 13 on Sidoguro Hill in the Rawa Jombor area of Krakitan village, Bayat. The feast was enlivened by a fight to rake up ketupat involving hundreds of revelers.

The feast began with a parade of 37 offerings made of ketupat arranged like a pyramid from the entrance gate of the Rawa Jombor to Sidoguro Hill. During the parade, revelers also carried opor ayam, serundeng [coconut flakes], fried chili sauce and rice crackers as dishes to accompany the ketupat.

People say that the tradition was introduced by one of renowned nine Islamic preachers in Java, the Sunan Kalijaga. Ketupat, a contraction of ngaku lepat, which means asking for forgiveness in Javanese, is believed by Javanese people to bring about blessings. [dmr]

Photo: Ganug Nugroho Adi