Kasada, traditional rite of the Majapahit Tengger people
Kasada, traditional rite of the Majapahit Tengger people
Indra Harsaputra and ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Probolinggo
Following the discovery of the Sanggar temple site in Pusung Malang, Pasuruan regency in mid-June this year, Winston Mambo's life changed.
The chief of the East Java office for the Center for the Conservation of Archeological Artifacts, now sits busily typing into his laptop, at a desk stewn with documents and photographs of the temple.
"This must be one of the greatest discoveries in history; there has never been any temple found before that can link the Tengger tribe with the Majapahit Kingdom," he told The Jakarta Post in Mojokerto.
Winston plans to send his preliminary research to the Yogyakarta Archaeological Center; the start of something that he hopes will be big.
The center has already begun excavating the site where the temple, measuring 25 meters by 25 meters, was discovered between June 23 and June 29.
Many of the temple's stone piles have collapsed but others showed the existance of a wall that lay lengthwise from east to the west, directly facing Mount Bromo. Excavators also unearthed a stone beam on which 1363 Saka (1443 AD) was inscribed. This year was within the ruling period of Queen Suhita of Majapahit (1429-1447 AD). Another beam with 1431 Saka inscribed (1509 AD) was in the time of Dyah Ranawijaya Girindrawardhana, the last Majapahit ruler.
Winston said that the architectural style of the temple showed a shift in the prevailing religious system from Hindu-Buddhism to ancestor worship. This kind of temple was first discovered in the slopes of Mount Bromo and the discovery of Sanggar confirmed the close link between the Tengger tribe in Bromo and the Majapahit Kingdom, he said.
The Kasodo ritual
Some Tengger people believe that they are directly descended from the Majapahit Kingdom, with the name of their tribe having its origin in the legend of legendary Majapahit nobles Roro An- "teng" and Joko Se-"ger".
Legend says that Joko, a young man of the Brahmana priestly caste, and Roro, a lady from a noble family during the reign of the Brawijaya dynasty, got married and opened up a settlement in Tengger area.
There they ruled for a generation and were known as Purbowasesa Mangkurat Ing Tengger or the Wise Tengger Rulers. The word also means "Tenggering Budi Luhur" or an introduction to noble life and the symbols of lasting peace.
This legend served as the origin for the Kasodo rite, held every 14 or 15 day of Kasodo, the 10th month in the Javanese calendar. The rites of Kasodo
According to the legend, Roro and Joko failed to fulfill their promise to the gods when they refused to offer their youngest child, Kesuma, to the volcanic crater of Mount Bromo. Furious, the gods, threw Kesuma into the crater. The moment the child fell in, a voice was heard, commanding that an offering be made every Kasodo.
Supoyo, the chief of Ngadisari village, said that Kasodo rite was held on Sept. 17 and Sept. 18 this year.
The rite starts with the confirmation of Tengger elders and the performance of Roro Anteng and Joko Seger dance drama in the open-air state in Ngadisari village.
At precisely midnight, the shamans are inaugurated and Tengger people are blessed in the sandy area of Mount Bromo. Before their inauguration, these shamans must pass a test in which they are required to chant mantras from memory.
Later, Tengger flock to the top of Mount Bromo, each carrying offerings made up of agricultural produce and cattle. They throw these offerings into the crater, believing that God will bless the Tengger people with prosperity and safety.
Connections
So the story goes, and over recent years there have been more discoveries linking legendary events to historical ones. In October 2002 a copper plaque was discovered in was Sapikerep village, Sukapura, Probolinggo, showing a link between the Majapahit Kingdom and the settlement of a new people near Mount Bromo.
The plaque contains eight smaller plaques each measuring 31.5 cm long, 11 cm wide and 0.2 cm thick with an inscription of 1197 Saka (1275 A.D.)
Made during the era of King Kertanegara and King Rameswarapura of Singasari Kingdom, it details the gifts endowed to two royal officials -- Sri Brahmaraja Dang Hyang Dharanidharitana and Maha Mantri Katrini.
According to the plaque, Sri Brahmaraja Dang Hyang Dharanidharitana accepted a gift from Wisnuwardhana, the son of King Dyah Urddhaja. The gift was in the form of exempting a village in Sukapura, located somewhere in the Mount Bromo area, from the obligation to pay taxes and other levies.
As some plaques are now missing, it is not known why the king endowed this special right.
"Nevertheless, we are convinced that the area around Mount Bromo used to be an area that the king endowed to a royal official," Winston said.
It is also written in several ancient books such as Negarakretagama, Serat Pararaton, Kidung Panji Wijaya Krama and Kidung Harsawijaya that the king endowed an official with a plot of land somewhere around Mount Bromo.
A royal official did not earn a salary but instead received a plot of land the area of which was compatible with his position. This land was exempted from any taxes and levies.
Temple business
The new temple find has also fueled hopes that the site can attract more tourists to the area. The Kasodo ritual is not only important to the Tengger people but also to those doing business in Mount Bromo tourist area.
Slamet, a dress vendor from Jember, said that the Kasodo festival brings him a handsome profit, raking in Rp 1 to 2 million over the festival
Edy Siswanto, the marketing manager of Lava View Hotel, says the Kasodo ritual means hotel rooms in the area are fully booked.
"Prior to Kasodo, all rooms are reserved, he told the Post.
Hotel management was soon planning to introduce a Global Adventure program, where guests would be taken to Penanjakan Summit to enjoy the sunrise and also to Ranu Pane and to Cuban Pelangi, not far from the top of Bromo, where there are several small waterfalls.
There are nine hotels around Mount Bromo, consisting of 500 hotel rooms at rates between Rp 25,000 and Rp 450,000. Two of them are star-rated.