Surabaya (ANTARA) \u2014 The sound of gamelan music pierced the air at the\nHeroes Monument area in Surabaya on that evening. A gunungan (ceremonial\nconstruction) was carried slowly, Javanese chants were sung, whilst\nwayang kulit shadow puppets began performing the story of \u201cDewa Ruci\u201d\nbefore residents who had gathered from across the city.<\/p>\n
Amidst metropolitan traffic, tall buildings, shopping centres, and\ndigital screens that never sleep, Surabaya suddenly seemed to pause and\nreflect on itself.<\/p>\n
The Ruwatan Kota (city purification) ceremony held by the Surabaya\nCity Government on Surabaya\u2019s 733rd founding anniversary was more than\njust an annual cultural agenda. Behind the offerings, processions, and\nwayang kulit performances lies a far more profound question: what\nexactly is a modern city like Surabaya attempting to purify?<\/p>\n
In Javanese tradition, ruwatan is understood as an effort to expel\nsengkala (misfortune) or negative energy so that life returns to\nbalance. This ritual emerged from the understanding that humans do not\nlive in isolation, but exist within relationships with nature, social\nspaces, and spiritual values.<\/p>\n
When this tradition is transferred to modern urban spaces, its\nmeaning expands. What is being purified is not merely the individual,\nbut also the direction of development, collective memory, and even how a\ncity treats its people.<\/p>\n
At this juncture, Surabaya\u2019s ruwatan becomes compelling to examine\nmore closely. It is not merely cultural romanticism, but rather a mirror\nof the anxiety of a large city searching for equilibrium amid the\nacceleration of our age.<\/p>\n
Surabaya has grown as a metropolitan city with an increasingly rapid\nrhythm. Streets are being widened, business districts are expanding, and\napartments and commercial centres continue to emerge. By many\nindicators, Surabaya ranks amongst cities with progressive economic and\ninfrastructure growth in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
However, modern urban development almost always carries the same\nrisk. Cities become efficient, but gradually lose their inner space.<\/p>\n
This phenomenon is evident in increasingly individualistic urban\nlife. Traditional city villages are displaced by modernisation, spaces\nfor resident interaction are shrinking, whilst younger generations are\nmore familiar with global digital culture than the local traditions of\ntheir own surroundings. Surabaya is not alone in facing this situation.\nMajor cities around the world experience the same.<\/p>\n
Several cities have subsequently attempted to find their way home\nthrough culture. Seoul has revitalised the traditional cultural area of\nBukchon Hanok Village as part of South Korea\u2019s modern city identity.\nJapan maintains local festivals amidst technological advancement. Even\nParis preserves traditional markets and public art spaces as part of its\ncity\u2019s social identity.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/urban-purification-on-the-brink-of-oblivion-1780366853", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }