Selametan (Ceremonial Meal) Kuta

1. The Origin

The belief that there is another creature which is able to influence human life positively or negatively will cause fastidious attitudes. If the creature has a positive potency, the attitude is done in order that the positive values contained in it can be preserved. But if the creature has a harmful potency, the conducted effort aims to reject or minimize the impact which is likely to rise. That way is also performed by Lombok society, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. They do the ritual, which is so-called selametan kuta to protect and prevent their village from all kinds of distresses and disasters.

Selametan kuta aims to fortify a village from all distresses, diseases, and calamities which will penetrate the border of the village (kuta/ lawang desa/ the entrance of the village). This ceremony, thereby, is addressed to prevent all kinds of disaster including the one which is able to attack plants and livestock animal. In particular for taking care of plants, this ritual is addressed to protect and prevent paddy plant from the disease of bonga Padi or abang. This disease causes paddy cereals to become carmine. Because the purpose of the selametan is to fortify a village and protect its citizen from all diseases and distresses, hence this ceremony is performed at the village entrance and followed by all village citizen.

2. The Equipment and the Place of Performance

The village entrance (kuta) is the place of performing the selametan kuta. Then equipment which must be provided is a ketupat (topat). Ketupat is rice boiled in a rhombus-shaped packet of plaited young coconut leaves. Ketupat is the major dish of food offered in selametan kuta, then this selametan is also called sedekah (alms) or selametan topat.

3. The Way of Performing the Ceremony

Selametan kuta is a ceremonial meal to clean and sanctify a village so that the village is freed from all kinds of disaster. Taking care of the village represents the responsibility of all village citizen. Because of the responsibility of all villagers, its organizers are all village citizen. The participation of village citizen can be seen from their seriousness in making ketupat or topat.

Sequence of the perfomance of selametan kuta shall be as follows:

• On a determined day, all village citizens gather in a village entrance (kuta/ lawang desa) by bringing ketupat.
• After they all gather, a penyilak delivers the target of the event toward all participants attending.
• After the penyilak has finished, a Muslim leader leads a prayer requesting to Allah in order that their village is protected from all kinds of disaster.
• After the Muslim leader has prayed, the next agenda is continued by eating topat together with all participants.
• The event of eating topat indicates that the ceremony of selametan kuta ends, and all the village citizen  go home with a hope that their village is freed from all kinds of disasters, especially the one related to paddy plant and livestock animal. In the other word, selametan kuta contains a village citizen`s expectation and prayer that next year a mount of rice produced will increase, livestock animal and fruits will free from disease.

(more detailed procedures are still in a process of collecting data)

4. The Prayers and Mantras

In selametan kuta, the prayers read by a Muslim leader are short Arabic prayers containing request that their village can be avoided from all kinds of disaster.

(the reading of the prayers is still in a process of collecting data)

5. The Cultural Values

Selametan kuta shows that there is a belief, expectation and effort conducted by Lombok people in order to free from all kinds of disaster. The performance of the selametan represents an expression of Lombok society`s belief to other existence which has a potency to generate disharmony in society. Through selametan kuta, they attampt to fortify their village from all kinds of disasters. If the source of disaster can be chased away since its step into the village, the village will become safe automatically. What is done by Moslems of wetu telu shows that belief and perception of human being toward spirit creatures, for example, they can bring misfortune on the people, and generates various types of ritual such as the selametan kuta.

Socially, the performance of selametan kuta represents an effort to keep the development solidarity among the village citizen especially when they face a threat from outside of the village. Besides that, selametan kuta also makes whole village citizen realize that they all coexist and then they ought to do anything together in bad or good condition. (TN/trj/22/10-07).

References :

• Erni Budiwanti, 2000, Islam Sasak, Wetu Telu versus Waktu Lima, LKiS, Yogyakarta.
• Bale Beleq, Sentral Tolak Bala, http://www.suarantb.com/2005/04/ 30/wilayah/Mataram/detil3.htm, retrieved at September 24, 2007.

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