Jodhangan, Village Cleansing Ceremony at Cerme Cave: Central Java, Indonesia

By Wombat | May 7th, 2006 | No Comments

Selopamioro village has many kinds social and culture activity. One of the culture activities is Jodhangan. This ceremony is held at Cerme cave front yard on Imogiri hills, which is located at Srunggo I and Srunggo II sub village.

Jodhangan ceremony has been done generation to generation. Based on tradition, this ceremony is held on Sunday of Pahing on month of Besar/Dzulhijjah.

This ceremony is started with ribbon cutting. Then, 18 jodhangs convoy is held from Selopamioro village hall to cerme cave, around 1 kilometers. The jodhangs are picked on shoulder, and they walk on foot. Most of Srunggo people, especially who follow the convoy, wear Javanese dress. As culture ceremony series, before the ceremony is done, there was village cleansing as the manifestation to keep Srunggo people away from negative aspects, such as disharmonious relationship, spirit disappearance to increase their village and so on.

Those jodhangs contents of rice with its side dishes for kenduri (ritual meal), vegetables, fruits, and yellow paddies. All contents manifest symbol of prosperity of the two villages, Srunggo I and Srunggo II. They thank God because of God’s mercy showering.

Besides jodhangs made by 18 neighborhoods in Srunggo sub village, there is a big jodhang, which is special made because of 15 out of Srunggo village persons order. They have different will. There is one who wishes God’s mercy, so that his harvest will be abundant, success business, soul and body peaceful and beg to his relatives health from his illness.

In Wali (God’s representative person) day, some people say that the cave was used as the meeting place for Islamic nobles. Part of their discussion was their way of how to give speech for the people so they followed their religion happily.

Source: Bantulbiz