Legend and Ritual Ngebel Lake Two
Published by The offering was aimed to get spirit blessings for safeguarding life and to invoke Baru Klinthing not to ‘devour’ human flesh when he required ‘meals’. The villager told that when Baru Klinthing wanted ‘meals’, he would give a sign of an earthquake and a thunderous sound. For volcanologist this could be a sign of volcanic activity, but humble and simple people connected it with the hunger of the spirit.
Logo of Ponorogo Regency
But if the sleeping beauty is ‘awaken’ from her sleep because of her ‘anger’, another natural disaster may happen. It might not be caused by an eruption of Mount Wilis but by landslides, since the forests above the visible lush pine forests surrounding Lake Ngebel are endangered nature. Destruction and deforestation occurred in a widespread area above Ngebel and now parts of the highlands are ‘balding’ due to the irresponsible people!
Today the local government of Ponorogo packs the ancient tradition of village cleansing rites in a more beautiful tourism package in an annual festive season of Grebeg Suro on each 1st Suro (1 Muharram). The package is today called ‘larungan risalah doa’ (risalah doa = prayer) instead of ‘larungan sesaji’ to avoid being called ‘musyrik’ (gentile; to worship other than one Supreme God Allah is called ‘musyrik’). But it sounds a bit ‘ridiculous’ should it be observed by lingustics! No matter what the name the rites is called, still the main core is the animism-dynamism based ritual packed in modern clothes with Islamic prayer. And the sleeping beauty of Ngebel needs more protection against the natural disaster and requires more beautification for future tourism industry.
Phone: Pak Pardi: +62.85655602627
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