'Nyadran': Observing Ramadan, Merapi people's way

Sun, 08/31/2008 10:33 AM  |  Lifestyle

A group of dancers perform Manusia Rimba (jungle people) dance. (JP/Ganug Nugroho Adi)

For communities living in hamlets on the slope of Mount Merapi in Central Java the advent of the holy month of Ramadan means congregating around graveyards, performing the nyadran rite for respecting ancestors and celebrating life.

The nyadran (a visit to holy place) or ruwahan, that lasts for two days and two nights before the end of the Javanese calendar's month of Ruwah -- on Aug. 25 and 26 this year -- begin with the tenong sepindah (the first tray) ritual with hundreds of villagers carrying tenong (a tray) containing offerings of yellow-color rice cone, fruit and snacks from the house of the village elder to the graves of their ancestors.

It was pitch dark and cold at the Selo Tengah hamlet of Boyolali regency, but these people walked over two kilometers to the graves of Kyai Gareng and Kyai Citro Cenolo, the founders of the hamlet that is located 500 meters above sea level.

The community pray together for their ancestors at the graveyard. (JP/Gaug Nugroho Adi)

As soon as they reached the graveyard, the villagers laid down their trays. The grave caretaker then burned incense at the grave of Kyai Gareng and led the prayer, specifically thankful for the art legacies with which the villagers earn their living.

Selo Tengah has at least 15 forms of traditional arts, all in the form of dances such as the Soren, Topeng Ireng, Manusia Rimba, Turangga Jenar, Cikrak and Buto Ijo -- believed to have maintained their safety and breathed life into the members of Selo Tengah hamlet.

The main livelihood of Selo Tengah people is growing vegetables. However, while waiting for the harvest, they perform their traditional dances to earn extra money; they earn between Rp 500,000 (US$55) and Rp 750,000 for each performance.

They are able to perform 10 times per month, the proceeds of which go into the hamlet's treasury and will be spent entirely on the villagers' welfare. They certainly do not want to suffer a crop failure simply because they ignored their tradition, which has been practiced for hundreds of years.

After the prayer, the villagers have a meal together in the graveyard. They eat their yellow-color rice cone, ingkung (roast) chicken, fruit and snacks.

The ritual procession to the graveyard finished, they move on to a grassy square to watch their traditional dances one last time before they enter the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

So, in the square, right at midnight, gathered hundreds of villagers to watch the dancing -- the legacy from their ancestors. They had left their homes, donning two layers of clothing, a sarong or jarik, in order to stay warm. Under bright lights, the noisy music accompanying the tradition and the shouting of the dancers broke the quietness of the night.

During the fasting month, they are not allowed to perform these dances. "This serves as a symbol that during the fasting month, human beings should eliminate their mundane desires. The month of Ramadan must be filled with more God-related affairs," Supardi said, the hamlet elder.

They stayed awake all night, watching the performers until daybreak. In the morning they returned to the graveyard with another set of trays for the sedekah leluhur (offerings to ancestors) rite, begging God to forgive their sins -- and also those of their ancestors -- so they could again be pure and perform their fasting obligations perfectly.

"After that we eat the offerings together in the graveyard. From here, the younger villagers will visit older ones to pay respect, to ask for forgiveness and shake hands," Marsudi said, head of Selo Tengah hamlet.

The sedekah leluhur rite will continue until a day before the fasting starts. At that time, hundreds of villagers, ranging from children to old people, will rush to the spring for their padusan rite, in which they have a bath and shampoo their hair. This rite can be literally construed as an effort for physical and spiritual self-cleansing in preparation for entering the holy month and for performing the fast with a pure and sincere heart.

According to elder Supardi, if these rites are ignored, the hamlet will suffer from pagebluk (a curse) and crop failure.

"Our villagers believe the main art forms of the hamlet must always be kept and respected. Among other things, we must give offerings in the cemetery," Supardi said.

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