Fieldwork Program Bromo – Yogyakarta: Knowing Practically Java Hindu Culture
From 27 April to 2 May 2018, Sociology Education students from the 2016 class carried out fieldwork lectures in Bromo, East Java and Yogyakarta. The first trip was to visit Ngadas Village, which is located at the foot of Mount Bromo, whose community consists of the Tengger Tribe. Ngadas Village consists of people who are 99% Hindu, the origin of the Tengger Tribe is not an escape from Majapahit, but has existed since prehistoric times. The Tenggerese carry out religious activities 9 times starting from Pujang Kapas, Katuju or Kapito, Kawolu, Kasada, Kasadar, Karo, Galungan, Kuningan, and Nyepi.
In the Tengger Tribe community, there is a traditional leader called Dukun Pandita who usually leads all traditional ceremonies in the Tengger Tribe. The selection of the Pandita Shaman through a spiritual test in the form of not eating and sleeping for 24 hours during Kasada Day, if he passes to become a shaman, it indicates a revelation from Hyang. There is something unique about the selection of the shaman Pandita, namely being a ‘dukun’ does not have to be a descendant of a shaman and does not know women or men, as long as the shaman Pandita can pass the spiritual test. In this modern era, the people of Ngadas Tengger Village follow the current existing modern culture but still make Hinduism a pillar of religion that must be obeyed and Javanese culture which is still carried out by the younger generation, because for them there is an assumption that "what they do will have an impact on their lives." ourselves in the future.”
On the second trip, we had the opportunity to visit Ngawen Village in Yogyakarta. Ngawen Village is the same as Ngadas Village, where 80% of the population is Hindu. In Ngawen Village, togetherness and solidarity are highly valued regardless of religion and individual social status. Javanese Hindu culture is very strong in Ngawen Village which is inherited through informal education that has been carried out since childhood. Informal education that focuses on religious, social, and economic aspects is carried out from early childhood to high school level teaching Hinduism and Javanese culture. This is considered effective as evidenced by the awareness of the younger generation who participate in every religious and cultural activity in Ngawen Village. The high awareness of education is also evidenced by the large number of people in Ngawen Village who have received education up to the master's stage.
Of the two villages that have been visited, it certainly provides an experience for Sociology Education students in getting to know Javanese Hindu culture which is different from Balinese Hinduism. Although the teachings of religion, scriptures, and philosophy are the same, the difference is the culture, such as the absence of a caste system in Javanese Hindu culture and in understanding the rules, the implementation is different according to the culture.
