Tumuruning Maheso Suro: Central Java, Indonesia

By Wombat | May 18th, 2006 | 1 Comment »

This ceremony is performed at Srigading village on night before 1 Suro. It is a Sanden people’s tradition ceremony to remember Maheso Suro legend.

The legend was started from Sanden people’s poverty. The people hoped to the almighty God by doing meditation to set them free from poverty. Black buffalo suddenly came up. The buffalo helped them to plough their farmland. In fact, their farmland became much more fertile, so it increased their income.

The tradition ceremony of Tumuruning Maheso Suro is based on a story of maheso suro or male buffalo, which suddenly came up at Samas beach. The black buffalo was then caught by Sanden officers and bred together with other buffaloes. Strangely, every time the buffalo walked on people farmland, the plants on the area was growing much more fertile. After it gave a birth, it disappeared off hands.

Srigading people do the ceremony as their manifestation of thank God. This ceremony, which is also known well as 1 Suro ceremony, is started from eyang Jokasmo’s ruins and started with Jamasan Golek Kencono (bathing puppet) procession. This ceremony is not only followed by Srigading people, but other region people also follow the ceremony.

Source: Bantulbiz