Tari Buyung
Every year, Kuningan, West Java holds an sacred ceremonial
event called Seren Taun which has attracted people attentions from outside the
city or even outside the country. Seren Taun is a gratitude expression for the
ups and downs experiences especially in agricultural yield during the year. It is
also an annual cultural heritage from Sundanese culture and is usually held on
22th Month Rayagung or as people know as a Sundanese calendar. Seren Taun
itself is hosted by Tri Panca Tunggal community
(it usually consists of elders who still adhered a religious believe in that
area). It aims to unify all the people from the youngest to the oldest and also
to preserve the local arts in that area.
One of the participant, Appolonaris Aditya, said that he has joined
the event since he was a little and it makes him proud to be a Sundanese. He
said that each ceremony in Seren Taun itself has meanings. It begins with Ngajayak or welcoming the paddy on 18th
Month Rayagung. The number 18 in Sundanese called dalapan welas is from the
word welas. It means God’s love which
never ends for all people. The main ceremony is crushing the paddy with a not
so big wooden stick on 22th Month Rayagung. The number 22 itself has meanings; it
reflects 20 human characters which are unified as a life structure. Meanwhile, the
number 2 reflects the day-night life and ups-downs. Because the people in
Kuningan, West Java believe that the paddy is the symbol of the prosperity, it
makes the paddy as the main object in Seren Taun Ceremony.
Appolonaris Aditya (right)
This event lets the people to learn about the history of the
Seren Taun itself from the performances. It presents Damar Sewu (a picture of human life process), Tari Buyung (reflecting the Sundanese people in taking the water), Pesta Dadung (an effort to avoid the
negativity and to balance the human life),
Ngamemerokeun (symbolizing the union between male and female paddy). It also presents Tarawangsa (originally a Mataram art heritage), Pwah Aci (a respect expession to Dewi Sri as the Life Saver in agrarian areas), and one of the most likeable and chill-able perfomance, Seribu Kentongan (a thousand
participants bringing kentongan awi or
bamboo). After all the performances are done, all the participants and people
there can enjoy the free traditional food which has been prepared by the local
people there as well. One of the must have free meal at this event is Nasi Sabogana. Sabogana means simplicity
yet valuable. It contains rice looking like the yellow rice but messier and
vegetables. While people are enjoying the food, they can also mingle each
other.
Seeing from the cultural side, Seren Taun ceremony has run for
years in Kuningan, West Java. This event really can make us proud as Indonesian
people. It possibly happens because every year this event can attract the
attention from domestic or even foreign tourists who are curious about this
beautiful and sacred ceremony.
Violita Christy Agista
