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A parade to fight evil in Malang
Pimp my ride: Members of the Sumber Naga Temple in Probolinggo, East Java, decorate a jià o (sedan-chair)
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Pimp my ride: Members of the Sumber Naga Temple in Probolinggo, East Java, decorate a jià o (sedan-chair).
Incense smoke was hanging over the main altar and filled several rooms in the Kelenteng Eng An Kiong, a temple of deities in the Chinatown area of Malang, East Java, on the occasion of its 188th anniversary on Sept. 7.
'This temple's anniversary is marked on the sixth day of the sixth month of the lunar calendar, which in the year of 2564 falls on July 13, 2013,' said Bratayana Ongkowijaya, an organizer of the celebration, adding that a grand parade, which would be the climax of the event, was shifted to Sept. 8 in respect to the holy month of Ramadhan.
This year's anniversary procession of deity effigies involved 31 temples across East Java, Central Java and Jakarta, along with seven representative bodies from the interfaith forum, including Islamic boarding schools, Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia and the Association of Belief in Almighty God.
Before the parade, the effigies of gods and goddesses from various temples were housed for a night in Eng An Kiong with a ceremony of reception. Bunsu (spiritual leader) Hanom Pramana led the ritual in Chinese and Indonesian in the main altar hall of the temple, where worshippers joined their prayers with joss sticks before the statues, which are called Kiem Sien.
One of the procession entrants, Imam Junaidi, was decorating his jià o (sedan-chair) that had been transported by truck from Probolinggo, East Java.
'This kio comes from China and is 148 years old, so it must be preserved,' said Imam, a board member for Probolinggo's Sumber Naga Temple.
The participants and guests attending the celebration were entertained with art performances in the temple's auditorium, ranging from Chinese songs and bamboo music to Javanese dance-dramas featuring the characters, Rama and Shinta. 'We always present a variety of art forms, including Javanese traditional dance, to reflect pluralism,' said Evi Cahyuni, who played Shinta and manages Eng An Kiong's art studio.
Despite the lack of official records, Eng An Kiong spokesman Anton Triyono said the temple was built in 1825 by Lt. Kwee Sam Hway, the seventh-generation descendant of a Ming dynasty general forced to flee China. He finally found a location in Malang and established the temple. 'Eng An Kiong means the palace of security and divine eternity,' he said.
At first, the temple on Jl. RE Martadinata only consisted of one main room for worship. With the passage of time, it was expanded to its current size, covering an area of 5,000 square meters. 'It is now used by followers of Tri Dharma, a belief system that comprises the three teachings of Confucianism, Taoism and Mahayana Buddhism. The temple has a total of 99 effigies on display in all its rooms, as well as an auditorium for the arts,' he added.
During its history, the temple has been expanded and renovated several times without changing its major structure, the most notable of which is the saddle-shaped roof with both tips curving upward, which is known as the Ngang Shan. Inside, as is typical of Chinese interior design, golden yellow and red are the dominant colors.
According to Anton, data compiled by Khong Kouw Sian in 1940 indicated that this house of worship was dedicated to Kongco (his holiness) Hok Tik Cing Sin (the guardian of spiritual life, blessed with virtue). The first expansion of the temple lasted from 1895 to 1905, and was funded by a Chinese contractor after profiting from the construction of the Malang'Blitar railroad in the 1890s.
The extension covered the rear of the temple, its east and west wings and the front yard, where wayang potehi (Chinese wooden puppet) and wayang kulit (Javanese leather puppet) shows are held on certain occasions, such as during the Lunar New Year and National Independence Day on Aug. 17.
Further renovations were carried out between 1912 and 1986, with more buildings being added and the main gate restored. In 1996, an art and dance auditorium was built along with a clinic and a home for the elderly. In 2002, the temple's office was completely modernized.
The cultural parade, which was the climax of the anniversary celebrations for Eng An Kiong on Sept. 8, offered a lively and magnificent spectacle. Setting off at 9 a.m., the two-hour parade progressed along 3.8 kilometers of the city's main roads with dozens of Kiem Sien effigies, drawing a large crowd of spectators.
The principal deity of Eng An Kiong, Hok Tik Cing Sin, was carried on a jià o ahead of a number of other deity effigies from other temples in East Java. 'These deities are displayed to eliminate evil,' Anton said. Lion and dragon dances also added a festive spirit to the procession.
Some jià o carriers were moving to and fro, as if being shaken by their respective loads. One participant said he believed the spirits of the gods were rocking the jià o, but another disagreed, claiming sedand were built in such a way that they swayed when carried. Whatever one chooses to believe, a man carrying incense burners from the Hok Yoe Kiong Temple in Nganjuk, East Java, went into a trance and seemed to be dragged in a circular movement, forcing two of his colleagues to keep him moving in the right direction.
Meanwhile, the Ansor Islamic organization, Parisadha Hindu Dharma Indonesia from Malang, and the East Java Christian Community also participated, offering artistic performances and gamelan music. Malang's Islamic boarding schools presented jidor (drum music) and a giant cone of ketupat (rice cakes wrapped in coconut leaves) and harvested crops.
'This tumpeng [cone] symbolizes peace and serves as a means of introspection,' explained Gus Putro, head of Malang's Syarif Hidayatullah Boarding School and Orphanage, a regular participant of Eng An Kiong Temple's parades.
Sunari, 53, who lives in Turen district, 25 kilometers south of Malang, was among the crowds of onlookers entertained by the procession. 'It's great; we can still watch a lion dance and Chinese cultural parade for free,' said Sunari, who spent the weekend in Malang with his family.
Anton revealed that the grand parade, which included around 2,000 participants, cost Rp 600 million, including lodging expenses for the invitees. The budget, which was met by donations, has led the temple to organize large-scale parades only once every three years, with more modest annual observations for temple members.
The Malang administration, Anton added, wished to see the parades become an annual event. 'With the amount of funding needed, it will be hard to organize the parades annually without the intervention of the city administration.'
- Photos by Nedi Putra AW
