Kasepuhan

Pestling rice in the traditional fashion at Sirnarasa village

The Kasepuhan or Kasepuhan Banten Kidul are a traditional Sundanese community of approximately 5,300 people, who live in the southern part of Gunung Halimun National Park, in the Indonesian province of West Java. Gunung Halimun National Park is located within the borders of the Sukabumi Regency, Bogor and southern Banten province. The Kasepuhan is called "Kasepuhan Banten Kidul" (Kasepuhan of Southern Banten), their main village is Ciptagelar in the Cisolok subdistrict (kecamatan) in the western part of the Sukabumi Regency. The current head of the community, Abah Ugih, inherited the position of leader when his father, Abah Anom, died at the age of 54. ^[1]

Etymology

The word kasepuhan is formed on sepuh, which means "old" in the Sundanese language. It refers to a way of living based on ancestral traditions and eventually, to the local community who lives according to these traditions.

History and tradition

According to oral information, the Kasepuhan have lived in this area (Banten Kidul, or south Banten) since 1368. The ancestors of the Kasepuhan are said to have lived in the area of Bogor, east of Gunung Halimun. At that time, their ancestors were part ofa kingdom that encompassed the province of West Java and Banten.

The people of the Kasepuhan claim they are linked with the Baduy, another traditional group in West Java. The main belief system of Kasepuhan people is Sunda Wiwitan. Nowadays, the Kasepuhan are influenced by Islam. However they do not strictly follow all rules of Islam but, rather, combine their beliefs with animism and Sundanese traditions. Just as their ancestors, they have combined several traditions and religions with their own Kasepuhan tradition; that is, they are influenced by Islam, Sundanese traditions, Pajajaran traditions and thus Hinduism and also animism.

The main ritual of Kasepuhan community is Seren Taun, or rice harvest thanksgiving as well as marking the new agriculture year in Sundanese tradition. Seren Taun festival also celebrated by other Sundanese traditional communities in other areas, such as; Sindang Barang, Pasir Eurih village, Taman Sari, Bogor; and the traditional Sundanese community in Cigugur Kuningan.^[2]

By far the most important way of subsistence for the Kasepuhan is agriculture, which can split into three categories: sawah (wet rice cultivation), ladang (dry rice cultivation), and kebun (gardens on horizontal fields). About 85% of Kasepuhan agricultural land is sawah, 10% consists of ladang, and 5% kebun. There is a strong emphasis on eco-friendly techniques of farming within the community.^[3]

References

Bas Bolman (2006). Wet rice cultivation in Indonesia - A comparative research on differences in modernisation trends. Major Thesis, Wageningen University.

Notes