Ngrapyak Sendang Ceremony: Central Java, Indonesia

By Wombat | March 20th, 2006 | 3 Comments »

I know I have said it many times and I will say it again, the Javanese have a beautiful and mystical culture. Numerous ceremonies throughout the year attest to this. One such ceremony and procession is Ngrapyak Sendang which takes place outside of Yogyakarta in Central Java.

Ngrapyak Sendang
Dusun Gondangan, Kelurahan Sidomulyo, Kecamatan Pengasih, Kulon Progo INDONESIA

Gondangan is a hamlet in Kelurahan Sidomulyo, Subdistrict of Pengasih, Kulon Progo. Hamlet of Gondangan is located at mountainous area therefore it is rather difficult to reach, more or less 200-300 meter above the sea level.

Villagers of Gondangan, mostly farmers, are very careful in using water. They take water for drink and cook from Sendangreja water-resource which is lived by dhanyang Raden Ayu Ambar Wungu. Based on local belief, the dhanyang has a brother called Raden Bagus Gandhungmlathi who lives in Mount Merapi.

Ceremony of Ngrapyak Sendang derives from the word “krapyak” which means “fence”. Ngrapyak Sendang is understood as an activity to make a new fence for the sendang, since the ceremony is only held when the fence is broken. The aim of this ceremony is to give a chance for the villagers to ask for peace from the Almighty through dhanyang Raden Ayu Ambar Wungu and Raden Bagus Damarjati who lives at pundhen Paroman, also to ask for water of Sendangreja for all of the villagers.

The ceremony of Ngrapyak Sendang is held on Fridya (Jumat Kliwon) around 12.30 WIB. There is no fixed date or month since it depends on the fence. If the fence is damaged and the people do not fix it very soon, there is no peace at all in the village. Many people get angry, failure in farming, and most of the activities are useless. It is believed that it has close relation to the fence and they also belive that the dhanyang is angry.

Therefore, the head of the hamlet makes a meeting with the elders, panembahan, and some villagers to prepare for the ceremony of Ngrapyak Sendang. They need bamboo, particularly pring putih or pring apus. The white bamboo must be cut a month before the ceremony (on Pahing) with out any religious ceremony. Several days to the ceremony, the villagers make the fence all together.

The procession of Ngrapyak Sendang is followed by all people of Gondangan. They prepare some offerings, such as:

- Nasi Tumpeng, tumpeng alus (faith) and tumpeng robyong (prosperity),
- Golong, such as Golong Sejodho (husband and wife), Golong Empat (four direction), and Golong Pancer (peace),
- Ambeng, for the ancestors,
- Ingkung Ayam Jantan
- Rujak Degan, for Sunan Kalijaga,
- Lauk pauk,
- Empon–empon,
- Rokok putih, for the dhanyang

The offerings are brought to the sendang and the ceremony (kenduri) is lead by Rois. Juru Kunci and Panembahan must burn the kemenyan. During the kenduri, the women of Godangan follow the ceremony from outside of the fence. At the end of the kenduri, they had lunch together.

As the last sequence of the ceremony, they also carry on Jathilan or Jaran Kepang. Sometimes there is also Tayuban as the closing of the traditional ceremony of Ngrapyak Sendang.

Source Info: www.gudeg.net