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Tenggerese Hindu ritual meets cultural performances on Mount Bromo
This year’s festival, the third so far, begun on July 13 as part of the Yadnya Kasada ritual on Thursday.
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A dance performance staged during the Yadnya Kasada ritual on Mount Bromo, East Java (JP/Aman Rochman)
T
he cold weather and dust coming from passing vehicles did not seem to stop visitors from enjoying the performances presented at the 2019 Eksotika Bromo festival held on Mount Bromo in Probolinggo, East Java, on Thursday.
The organizing committee prepared rows of seats and carpets for people to sit on while enjoying the performances from traditional art performance groups and artists in the mountain’s Sea of Sand.
This year’s festival, the third so far, begun on July 13 as part of the Yadnya Kasada ritual on Thursday.
Read also: Eksotika Bromo presents traditional art, dance performances
Probolinggo Regent Puput Tantriana Sari said the festival was organized by the regency administration to develop traditional culture and art activities in the community to help lure tourists to the region.
“This event can attract tourists to visit other regions around the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park [TNBTS],” said Puput, adding that doing so would also contribute to the preservation of culture.
On the first day of the festival, the event presented Singo Wulung traditional art attraction from Bondowoso, Jaranan Reog Kendang from Tulungagung and Reog Suryo Joyo from Malang.
The following day from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., it presented Dongkrek art group from Madiun, BarongRampak from Malang and traditional ballet Kidung Tengger.
“I didn’t know before that we had Eksotika Bromo art and cultural performances here. They are really entertaining. This is a bonus for our visit to Bromo,” said a tourist from Yogyakarta, Sri Wahyuni, adding that she came to Bromo to enjoy its beautiful scenery.
The effort of the Probolinggo administration to blend art and cultural performances with the beauty of Bromo's nature and the Yadnya Kasada religious ritual has led to the event being listed in the Tourism Ministry’s Top 30 Calendar of Events Wonderful Indonesia 2019. Previously the festival was only listed among the Top 100.
The Yadnya Kasada ritual is a traditional Hindu ritual belonging to the Tengger tribe, believed to be the offspring of Princess Rara Anteng from the Majapahit kingdom and her husband Jaka Seger, a Brahmin. The tribe members are spread in the four regions on the foot of Mt. Bromo, namely Malang, Lumajang, Pasuruan and Probolinggo.
The ritual is conducted annually on the 14th day of the month of Kasada according to the Tengger calendar, under a full moon. It is done by throwing offerings comprising livestock and agricultural produce into the crater of Mt. Bromo.
The crater is believed to be the place of the spirits of their ancestors and their Gods. The ritual is held as a form of gratitude to their Gods and to ask them for security, health and wealth.
The ritual started with people carrying offerings from their houses to the shamans of their respective regions at the Luhur Punten Temple to be blessed. The shamans can usually found at the temple a day before to serve their people. Then they take the offerings to the crater for the Yadnya Kasada ritual held at 4 a.m.
“We are very happy that for the last three years the Yadnya Kasada ritual was always packed with art and cultural performances,” Sumokuncoro, 47, a shaman from Pakel subdistrict, Probolinggo, said.
He said that apart from depending on agricultural produce and livestock breeding for livelihood, Tengger people also gained their income from tourist visits to Mt. Bromo and Mt. Semeru.
“With the art and cultural performances, people are interested in coming to Bromo and learning about our culture,” he said. (yun/kes)
