By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, Dec 29 (ANTARA) - While Christians were still enjoying their post-Christmas holidays, some Muslims in the country on Monday performed various rituals to welcome the Islamic New Year, 1 Muharram 1430 Hegira. Besides the Islamic New Year, Javanese also observed the Javanese New Year, 1 Suro, 1942 J, which both fall on the same day.
Rituals such as the 'Gunung Kawi' offerings in Malang, the 'topo bisu' in Yogyakarta, the 'kungkum' in Semarang were among local traditions, apart from visits to 'sacred' places, were performed to welcome the Islamic New Year.
In Malang, East Java, for example, thousands of people on Monday attended the "Gunung Kawi" (Mount Kawi) ritual in Wonosari village, to welcome the Islamic New Year. The 'Gunung Kawi' ritual which is held on 1 Muharram or also known as 1 Suro (Javanese New Year, 1 Suro, 1942), was filled with several activities such as an art procession and flower scattering at the Gunung Kawi graveyard.
The ritual procession by at least 15 art groups also presented statues and offerings of several agricultural commodities such as rice and starchy root crops at the foot of Mount Kawi.
"This is an expression of gratitude of the people of Gunung Kawi to the Supreme God. Besides, it is also held in honor of Gunung Kawi's respected figures, Eyang Djugo and Raden Mas Imam Sdudjono," said Wonosari village head Kuswanto.
The Gunung Kawi ritual is an annual event which gets full support from the Malang regional government and has been included in the tourism calendar of events along with other beach and agribusiness tourism events.
"The art procession will be ended with the burning of 'ogoh-ogoh' puppets which symbolize the evils on earth. We hope by organizing this event, the people will be spared from all sorts of ordeals," he said.
The burning of the 'ogoh-ogoh' was done on the premises of the Gunung Kawi graveyard. Before the puppets were burnt, they were carried around the village by tens of residents dressed in 'ogoh-ogoh' costumes.
In Central Java, hundreds of people coming from various cities jammed the Soeharto Monument Sunday night in Bendan Duwur village, South Semarang sub-district to welcome the Islamic and Javanese new years.
Visitors had since Sunday flocked the area where the Kripik and Kreo rivers meet to perform the 'Kungkum' (bathing) ritual and offer prayers for good fortune in the coming year. Some of the visitors actually descended into the river to soak themselves in the water at 11 pm but others only washed their faces, feet and hands with river water.
They believed that by washing their bodies in the river, good fortune would be with them throughout the year. "This is for the first time I am taking part in a kungkum ritual. I hope I will be successful in my work," said Antoni who came to the place with six colleagues.
A local ritual was also held in Yogyakarta. About a thousand Yugyakarta residents on Saturday night conducted a "silent walk" around the palace of Sultan Hamengkuwono X in a ritual locally called 'topo bisu mubeng beteng' to welcome the Javanese and Islamic new years.
The procession which was kicked off by BBPH Joyo Kusumo, a member of the sultan's extended family, moved from a square north of the palace to a another square on the palace's western side through the Ngabean area, and then headed towards a point south of the palace past the 'pojok beteng kulo' corner before moving to the 'pojok benteng wetan' in the south.
On arrival at the 'beteng wetan' square, the ritual performers who consisted of men, women and youths, continued their silent walk to the north through Jalan Brigjen Katamso and Jalan Ibu Ruswo before returning to the northern square.
Throughout the procession, all of the procession's participants had to remain completely silent and walk with their eyes fixed straight ahead. The participants included 'abdi dalam (palace servants) and representatives of various districts in Yogyakarta.
Procession participants representing the districts of Sleman, Bantul, Gunungkidul, Kulonprogo and Yogyakarta, carried banners showing the insignia of their respective regions.
Other rituals performed in welcoming the New Year, included visits to sanctified places. In Banten, crowds of visitors on Sunday night flocked to the tomb of Sultan Hasanudin, a highly respected propagator of Islam in Banten province, on the eve of Islamic New Year, 1 Muharram 1430 Hegira.
At least 3,000 visitors from various regions had since Sunday evening gathered around the tomb located in Banten village, Kasemen sub district, Serang, Banten's provincial capital.
"I came here for a devotional visit and a period of introspection in entering the Islamic New year, 1 Muharram," Sapri(50), a resident of Tangerang district, said.
Sapri, who came with his Islamic study group and had been waiting since the evening, had to be patient before he got a turn to enter the tomb complex due to the crowds of visitors. His group wanted to welcome the Islamic New Year at the tomb while offering prayers for Indonesian Muslims and the nation.
"We hope that our prayers during our visit to the tomb on the eve of the Islamic New Year will be answered by God with His blessings on Muslims," he said.
Muhammad Sukri (40) of Cikande village in Serang and his family visited the tomb of the Islamic propagator and spent the night on the eve of the Islamic New year. "We offer prayers to God and recite chants in His name during the night asking for safety, spiritual and physical health," he said.
In the meantime, hundreds of Muslims in Indonesia's easternmost province of Papua welcomed the Islamic New Year with a walk, bazaar and drawing of door prizes on Monday. Hundreds had since 6 am flocked to the Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) Shooting Range where the Islamic New Year celebrations were centered in Abepura.
They gathered at the Brimob square before they moved out of the shooting range to the main road connecting Jayapura city with Sentani airport. The walk covered a distance of about three kilometers. They returned to the Brimob square to continue the day's program with a bazaar and a door-prize awarding gathering.
The walk, bazaar and door prize drawing were enlivened with the performance of 'qasidah' music groups. Monday morning's activities were part of the Joint Chant Recital, Observance and Mid-night Prayers organized since Sunday until early on Monday to welcome the Islamic New Year. (T.014/A/HAJM/17:50/a014) 29-12-2008 19:02:34
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