| Trenggalek
Anniversary
Based
on "Kamulan" epigraph, Trenggalek was built in
August 31, 1194. Traditional ceremony is annually carried
out to celebrate the establishment of Trenggalek and this
takes place in "Pendopo Kabupaten" (the Regency
Hall). A processing is made by hundreds of people wearing
Javanese traditional dresses move around along the main
road of the ceremony. The people of Trenggalek are not only
entertained with palm climbing, gunny bag race, etc, but
an all night puppet shadow performance as well. A day before
the anniversary, people make a devotional visit to sacred
places and stay a whole night reciting the Holy Quran and
singing "Mocopat" (six - line Javanese Verse Form).
Larung Sembonyo
Larung
Sembonyo is held by local fishermen In Prigi Beach about
48 Km, South of Trenggalek city in "SELO" of eleventh
month (of javanese calender). Larung Sembonyo is not only
a ritual ceremony which is mean to thank to God because
of His blessing but also In memorize the wedding party of
Raden Tumenggung Yudha Negara, Mataram Army Commander by
keeping his promise that he would marry Gambar lnten princess
and he succeded in opening the bay of Prigi.
Bagong Dam Purifying ceremony
It was told that in the mid of XVI century,
Menak Sopal was absolutely concerned sawing farmers' rice
fields that always on dried condition and failed to harvest.
Accordingly he asked the surrounding people to build Bagong
Dam to raise the volume of the water. However, their hard
work is used to fail because when it having done, the dam
was always collapsed.
He got a divine inspiration that to avoid the ruin of the
dam, a white elephant had to be sacrificed. Then, a series
of negotiation with the owner of the white elephant had
carried out and Menak Sopal won the negotiation. The White
elephant finally managed to be sacrificed.
At the moment, a buffalo is always sacrificed for the purifying
ceremony at Bagong Dam as the substitute of the white elephant.
Having been slaughtered, the buffalo's head and meat are
thrown to the mid of the dam and the people altogether splash
into the dam to cather the buffalo's head or meat.
Following the ceremony, a Javanese traditional puppet, telling
the story of Udan Mintoya, and pilgrimage to Menak Sopal's
tomb are held. Trenggalek people commonly visit the cemetery
on every "Kliwon" Friday ( kliwon is one of the
five Javanese days divisions).
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