For hundreds of years, villagers at Rembiga in Mataram have practised the unique and complex Betetulak ritual to protect their community from disaster.
The December tradition features a procession through the village of bottles of holy water and offerings of food. In 2011 it was attended by thousands of villagers, government officials and traditional tribal leaders of the indigenous Sasak people of Lombok.
Displays of various traditional arts, as well as the Chinese lion dance, opened the sacred ceremony before indigenous leaders presented a historic flag to Mataram Mayor Ahyar Abduh to symbolise recognition of him as a traditional Sasak leader.
He was sprinkled with yellow rice and holy water and then paraded through the village on a palanquin.
The Betetulak ritual to ward off disaster is performed only in Rembiga, before sunset, and is linked to the word “tulak” which means to reject.
Rembiga has a special building, named gendeng, for the storage of religiously significant and other historical objects that may date back to the 15th century days of the Kingdom of Selaparang on Lombok.
The artefacts, including perforated urns and bottles, were both tools of empire and tools used to broaden the spread of Islam on Lombok.
Society believes that a ritual offering involving a procession of the ancient objects through the village, and prayers to God for protection and prosperity, will save the community from disease and disaster.
“Every year we perform this ritual and we have always been a blessed village, free from harm and with our citizens existing in harmony,” said Rembiga resident Mohammad.
The sacred artefacts are integral to Betetulak which starts with readings to praise God, or Gedeng Roah. Blessings are incanted over ancient bottles that have been wrapped in white shrouds.
Villagers tasked with carrying the bottles through the community are prohibited from speaking for three days and nights before the procession.
Betetulak, in fact, is a series of rituals performed over four consecutive days. For three days, residents are required to take from their homes any object, such as a kris (traditional sword), believed to have special powers, for parading through the village.
They must also parade any animals considered to be sacred.
Readings of old stories recorded on palm leaves begin at midnight on the last day and continue until morning.
Different offerings are made on each of the four nights. Firstly, sticky pulp in both red and white represents the power of God to create both males (white) and females (red). The pulps are later combined to symbolise an embryo that develops into an offspring which eventually returns to the Creator.
On the second night, cone-shaped pancakes made of rice flour are offered to ensure God will protect the foetus.
Thirdly, small and large diamond-shaped food parcels are offered to signify trust in God to see humans, who should only try and pray, through the trials and issues of life.
On the last night, offerings of rice and side dishes that are not derived from living things are made to signify the requirement for humans to live simply without seeking luxury food.
Sasak people place priority on human harmony with the environment. Their philosophy is that human life stems from and is dependent on nature and must interact with nature.
To conquer and control nature will incite fury and bring disaster and widespread harm.
Sasak people have many different rituals, including Betetulak, to ensure social harmony. In Lembar in West Lombok, the Selamat Gubuk tradition requires villagers to make special incantations, but only after disaster has struck.
The Selamat Gumi ritual in Central Lombok is performed to ensure prosperous harvests. Villagers make a procession to their fields where they place offerings that have been blessed in every corner of the fields.
Maintaining good relations with their natural surroundings is pivotal to Sasak culture and the primary purpose of many of their traditions.
source:http://www.enchanting-lomboksumbawa.com
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