Jakarta – The citizens of Pondok Ranggon Village, Cipayung, East Jakarta, held the Hajat Bumi Kramat Ganceng Festival on Thursday (July 6, 2023) and Friday in an effort to protect Betawi culture.
“This activity happened from Thursday to Friday. The community took out a procession by positioning a goat ' s head on the border of Pondok Ranggon and Harjamukti Villages, Depok,” the chief of Pondok Ranggon town, Jenuri, said here on Friday.
The goat ' s head symbolized animal traits that exist in humans, he discussed.
“It is just a symbol. The goal is to thank God for the fortune that has actually been offered to Pondok Ranggon and as a hope that no disaster will happen in this location,” he said.
According to him, the celebration ' s activities are not grim, but become part of a combined custom of Betawi and Sundanese cultures with Islamic subtleties that have existed because the past.
In addition to the procession, individuals of Pondok Ranggon on Thursday held the tahlilan ( thanksgiving custom) at the Kramat Ganceng Burial place and offered contributions to 500 orphans and the poor.
The activities conducted throughout the celebration consisted of Pesta Rakyat ( the people ' s party), a display of the Betawi Mask, Baritan to express appreciation for a plentiful crop harvest, puppet play Wayang Golek, Ondel-Ondel, and Tanjidor standard musical instrument show.
Jenuri stated that people ' s interest was very high thinking about that the Hajat Bumi Kramat Ganceng Celebration had not been held for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The enthusiasm was really high. Numerous homeowners participated in the procession,” he informed.
Therefore, he expressed the hope that the festival, which is held every Dzulhijjah, the last month of the Islamic calendar, will continue to be carried out due to the fact that of the positive worths it promotes.
“In addition to maintaining Betawi culture, this activity can also boost the economy of the neighborhood. There are numerous small and medium organizations who participated in individuals ' s party,” he said.
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