A Thanksgiving Festival of
Cigugur, West Java
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| Seren Taun Festival of Cigugur |
Cigugur Indigenous
peoples who live in the foothills of Mount Ciremai, Kuningan Regency, West
Java has an intersting tradition ritual ceremony that come from the root of life as an agrarian
society. The ceremony always held annually as mass party named Seren Taun. This ceremony is a manifestation of gratitude to the God, also a local wisdom to
develop harmony between humans and their living environment at
the region. Although Cigugur Seren Taun is a tradition party of Cigugur
community, but there are a lot of others indigenous group attends as visitor, sometimes the visitors also contribute traditional arts attraction in
order to celebrating togetherness.
Cigugur is a small and peaceful town, most people in the surround region living as farmer, an oasis in The Land of Pasundan where various religions live
peacefully side by side. Seren Taun in other prespection got a new fungction as a symbol of unity. At Seren Taun
ceremony, all identities uninstalled, replaced by unity symbol for celebrating
one of the local wisdom that has been taught since centuries.
Consecutively of the
Rituals
The Peak of Seren
Taun ceremony held on every 22 Rayagung, Rayagung month is the
twelfth month according to the Sundanese calendar, system calendar that used by Cigugur indigenous society. So Seren Taun actually is an
annual celebration of gratitude from the Cigugur peoples to the universe, in
order to their abundant harvest.
Seren Taun procession always
preceded by Dadung Feast which held
on one week prior to the date of 22 Rayagung, the feast was held in the region
of Situ
Hyang (a hilly region that is believed by Cigugur community as a
“pests dumps"). Besides throwing pests ritual, people also do safety
praying for their own, family, shepherds, the rice fields and their livestock.
At end of the ritual, all farmers dance their traditional dancing together,
this is a happiness expression after a
year full hard working.
The day after
Dadung Party held there is another unique art procession commonly named Balong Girang. Balong Girang
is a musical activity that done by banging hand to the surface of the water in
a pond (Balong) in such as a certain rhythm. This event became part of the
entertainment series held prior to the peak of Seren Taun ceremony.
Badaya Pwah Aci Nyi Sang Hyang Sri a sacred dance from Cigugur danced by wanoja (girls) of Cigugur one day prior
22 Rayagung. This dance is dedicated to Dewi Sri, who believed as the rice
goddess according to Sundanese mythology.
22 Rayagung, the
peak of Seren Taun finally arrived, main events of Seren Taun started, Gong
Renteng (a traditional percussion instrument) played, accompanied by
Pasundan flute and lute, melodious
harmony from the mix of the musical instruments sound
rhythmic, the singer then starting to
sing Rajah Bubuka (the ceremony opening song). Opening ceremony
closed with a poem reading, the poem contains explanation of what the meaning
of Seren Taun is?
When Seren Taun opened, Cigugur peoples prepare to celebrate new year with
cheerful, and close the old year with grateful.
The next art
presentation is Tari Buyung (a dance
using metal jar as a main instrument, Buyung
is a kind of metal jar, Tari = Dance in English), this is a Cigugur traditional
dance and danced only by the Cigugur girls. The main idea of this dance is
urging people to integrate human life with the universe, especially for
integrating of humans with the earth and all others living. The idea is
including keeping natural conservation spirit.
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| Traditional Dance |
All those groups then moves
into Pendopo Paseban Tri Panca Tunggal,
an audience hall of Cigugur indigenous communities, a place where the
deliberations took place. In the hall, youth of Cigugur present a variety of agricultural products to
the Cigugur traditional leaders, Kuningan Region community leaders, government
officials, religious leaders as well as
national figures who are specially invited to this ceremony Seren Taun. The
procession was accompanied by the strains of
Kidung Babarit (an original
Ciigugur ballad song), sung by old people choir of Cigugur named Rampak Sekar.
All series of ceremonies regarding to Seren Taun
ended with paddy threshing, which is
done together by Cigugur community in a special place named Saung Panutuan (a
special place to proccessing paddy to be the rice). Usually there are 20 quintals
of paddy threshed, while the other 2 quintals of paddy rice stored in the barn
as a logistics backup.
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| Womens Group on Ngajayak |
Seren Taun ceremony but with
slightly different details are also held by some other custom communities that
are parts of Sunda group of culture
; Kampung
Naga Community - Tasikmalaya District,
Sindangbarang Community in Bogor Regency, Baduy communities in the Province of
Banten and several other places in West Java.
Although the details are
slightly different but the Seren Taun celebration that held by various traditional
communities in West Java has a similar message; maintaining harmony with the
nature and reminding to always build
social wisdom.
How to reach Cigugur:
Cigugur can be reach from
Cirebon city, need about 2 hours by land travel. Cirebon can be reach from
Jakarta by Air, Car or Train.
