Cultural resilience study: the role of the temanten mandi ritual in Sendang Modo on the survival of the surrounding community

Abstract

Until now, the cultural values embodied in the traditions of the Javanese people have not been conclusively explained. The purpose of this research is to describe and explain the cultural value of the ritual of bathing rituals in Sendang Modo and its potential as a source of cultural resilience, especially in people’s livelihoods. This study uses an ethnographic approach. The research was conducted for two years in Kandangsapi Village, Jenar District, Sragen Regency, Central Java Province, Indonesia. Retrieval of data using observation and interviews. The data obtained were analyzed using an interactive model. From the research conducted, it was found that the ritual of bathing in Sendang Modo has been carried out since the XVIII century. The community performs the ritual at this spring because spring water is considered efficacious and as the beginning of giving life to the people of Kandangsapi Village. These findings also show that the mandi-temanten tradition has the potential to offer an alternative or adaptive strategy, namely not only as a complement to the tradition but also to generate new opportunities as livelihood security which can ultimately increase economic, social, and even political income. So that the cultural traditions carried out have strengthened the survival of the surrounding community.

Keywords:

• Cultural resilience
• rural communities, ritual values, sendang Modo
• bath friends

Reviewing Editor:

• Lincoln Geraghty, School of Media and Performing Arts, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, United Kingdom

Subjects:

• Popular Culture; Cultural Studies; Religion

Introduction

Local or national culture grows and develops in line with the dynamics of the supporting community (Elsass, 1995). Culture has a very broad scope and includes various elements. Cultural elements universally include social systems, livelihoods, living equipment, language, habits, religion, art, and knowledge systems (Pesurnay, 2018). These cultural elements have been widely studied in various parts of the world. Daskon (2010), cultural values greatly influence the order of people’s lives. In Canada, cultural values are also related to racism and stress levels (Spence et al., 2016).

Research on bridal traditions has been carried out in various countries. Gullapalli & Sagi (2014) have conducted an in-depth study of Indian wedding customs. Baxshilloyevna & Shuhratovna (2021) has examined the epic wedding customs of the Alpomish people. Rohmanu (2016) has examined the cultural mix between Javanese and Malaysian traditional marriages. Furthermore, in Indonesia itself, wedding customs have been examined based on the song lyrics used (Daulay, 2014). Based on the results of the study above, the wedding customs here are examined based on cultural values which refer to cultural resilience in Javanese society.

Marriage rituals and rites are essentially marriage ceremonies as a symbol of unity husband and wife (Reidt, 2013). Marriage rituals in Javanese Indonesian custom before the meeting ritual or ‘panggih friends’ there is a preparation ritual. Rituals that are carried out before the meeting of friends by the community are carried out to prepare something related to the needs of marriage, the characteristics of the ceremony will be seen seriously before the wedding takes place, such as siraman and midodareni. Before the wedding, preparations must be made for about forty days. The bride will be secluded or secluded, meaning that she is prohibited from traveling, let alone meeting the groom. He also has to fast with fatty foods (Bair & Kaufman, 2020). However, in the Kandangsapi Jenar Sragen area, Central Java, there is something different and unique. The people of Kandangsapi Village, in addition to carrying out rituals like those of Javanese people in general, also carry out the ‘Bridal Bathing in Sendang Modo’ ritual.

The ritual of bathing friends at Sendang Modo is still being implemented and maintained (sustainably). Of course, there are noble values that predispose them to do so. However, not a few members of the community do not know and understand the essence of this ritual. They perform rituals only to the extent of aborting their obligations to the prevailing customs (Reidt, 2013). In addition, there are also those who prioritize the luxury of the procession, there are also those who are worried that they will be hit by logs (disaster) if they don’t do it, and so on. While the nature and values contained therein have not been understood by most members of society. Therefore it is necessary to do research, especially on its cultural values (Venable-Thomas, 2021). With the hope that the results can be used as a source of cultural resilience for the people of Kandangsapi Village in particular, and Indonesian society in general.

Marriage ritual is related to one of the elements of culture, namely the religious system. The religious system is a form of human surrender to their powerlessness in dealing with everything they are unable to deal with (Parera & Marzuki, 2020). For this reason, humans always maintain an emotional connection with supernatural forces. Human relations with supernatural powers are generally manifested in various forms of ritual, namely activities and expressions of belief systems as part of the sacred ceremonial stages (Rumahru, 2018). The ritual that is mostly performed by Indonesian people is the rite of passage.

The rite of passage (rite of crisis, rite of passage) as a cultural phenomenon has a double meaning, namely religious and social. Religious meanings are ‘symbols for communication’ while social meanings manifest as ‘rites of intensification’ and the regeneration of the spirit of life that is needed at certain intervals repeatedly (Qiao Wu, 2018). Every society in life individually or collectively is divided by its socio-cultural system into certain stages (Olendo et al., 2022). The transition from one stage to a wider stage is held by a rite due to the belief that the transition is a crisis (Habibi & Kusdarini, 2020). One of the transitional stages in Indonesian society in general and Sragen in particular is marriage. Wedding rites carried out and maintained are of course related to entrenched values and are considered important which predispose community members to act and behave.

Cultural values in this context are conceptions about life and human life that are valuable and noble that are embedded in the human mind or society. These cultural values according to Kluckhohn (1991) are reconstructed into a value system of human life and function as a reference and at the same time as a driving force in thinking, behaving, and behaving. Cultural values as the crystallization of creativity, initiative, human work also function as an orientation, and as a source of social order so that people live according to the norms (Hanif, 2017). These cultural values include five things related to the nature of human life, human work, status in space and time, relationships with nature and with fellow human beings (Koentjaraningrat, 2009). The characteristics are as a result of the learning process, have symbols, are dynamic and selective (Dewantara et al., 2023).

Fitriana (2019) said that if the cultural values mentioned above can be enculturated, socialized and internalized properly and used as a way of life, the cultural resilience will increase. Cultural resilience in question is the ability to maintain, filter, select, and adapt to foreign cultures without erasing the culture that has become the order of life (Wibowo et al., 2018). Therefore this research is necessary and important to be carried out so that the results can be used as a source of awareness for the community in responding to the dynamics of a fast-paced era with strong cultural infiltration from outside.

Based on the studies related to cultural values above, this research focuses on one of the elements of culture, namely livelihoods and habits, especially on bridal traditions. One of the elements of culture that has caught the attention of the Indonesian public is marriage. The culture of society in various regions in Indonesia is against having premarital sex. This is because marriage is something sacred and to eliminate the negative effects of premarital sex. However, this culture is starting to fade, now not a few people are having premarital sex. However, this is different from what happened in Kandangsapi Village, Jenar District, Sragen Regency, Central Java Province. The people of Kandangsapi Village view that sex and marriage are something sacred. Premarital sex is seen as a taboo act and if it is violated it is subject to customary sanctions such as fines, ostracism from association, and so on. One of the manifestations of the marriage as something sacred is that the people carry out the ritual.

Research on the benefits of bathing rituals for prospective brides and grooms has varying urgency, especially because bathing rituals have a significant role in the context of Javanese culture and traditions. First, a deep understanding of local culture, especially the ritual culture of bathing the bride and groom, provides a deep understanding of the cultural values and traditions inherent in Javanese society. This helps preserve and respect local wisdom that has been passed down from generation to generation. Second, the bathing ritual is an integral part of wedding preparations in Javanese culture. Research can help understand the significance and role of bathing ceremonies in the context of wedding ceremonies, including their impact on the physical and mental preparation of the bride and groom. Third, from the aspect of the health and well-being of the prospective bride and groom, the bathing ritual in preparation for the wedding can also have health and well-being aspects. Research could explore these aspects, including the potential psychological, relaxation, and restorative benefits that may be associated with performing bathing rituals.

Apart from that, the wedding ceremony does not only involve the bride and groom but also the family and community. Research can reveal the role of bathing rituals in strengthening social relations and togetherness between the families of the prospective bride and groom and the surrounding community. Wedding ceremonies often have a spiritual and religious dimension. Research could explore the connection between bathing rituals and spiritual values and the way these rituals permeate the daily lives of brides and grooms. This is in accordance with Fatmawati & Dewantara (2022) in the face of modernization and cultural change, it is important to understand the extent to which bathing rituals remain relevant and maintained by local communities. Research can provide insight into how these rituals develop or persist in the face of social and cultural change. The research results may have implications for cultural education and cultural heritage preservation. By understanding the benefits of ritual bathing, steps can be taken to preserve and teach these traditional values to the younger generation. This research can provide a valuable contribution to scientific literature, policy development, and further understanding of the importance of bathing rituals in the context of marriage in Javanese society.

Starting from the description above, this research needs to be carried out with the objectives namely; (1) to describe and explain the ceremonial ritual of bathing in Sendang Modo, (2) to describe and explain the cultural values contained in the ritual of bathing in Sendang Modo, and (3) to describe and explain the potential cultural values of the ritual of bathing in Sendang Modo Kandangsapi Village Jenar District Sragen Regency as a resource in building cultural resilience.

Research methods

Data and methods

This study uses a qualitative ethnographic approach with social humanities of certain ethnic cultural groups in a certain period of time (Creswell, 2014). This research was conducted in Kandangsapi Village, Jenar District, Sragen Regency, Central Java Province, Indonesia. The research period was used for two years, starting from August 2021-July 2023. The data sources used are primary and secondary. Primary data sources were obtained from key informants, including; traditional leaders, ritual leaders and their staff, as well as people who have performed the ritual of bathing in Sendang Modo. Meanwhile, secondary sources were obtained from the records of the Kandangsapi Village administration and information from parties who were not directly involved in the ritual.

Participant

This research uses purposive sampling to obtain relevant sources and informants. The sample consisted of eleven community figures with various duties in traditional ceremonies, from caretakers to the bride and groom who performed the ritual. Participants’ ages ranged from 30 to 69 years. Participants in this study were anonymized in accordance with the research code of ethics is shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Characteristics of participants.

No	Informant Code	Gender	Age	Role in Rituals	Address
1	I-01	Male	69	Sendang Modo caretaker/ Prayer leader	RT 5 RW 2
2	I-02	Male	69	Ritual leader	RT 5 RW 2
3	I-03	Female	67	Uborampe craftsmen and offerings	RT 5 RW 2
4	I-04	Male	52	Ritual leader assistant	RT 5 RW 2
5	1-05	Male	54	Village device	RT 4 RW 2
6	I-06	Male	48	Provider of ritual equipment	RT 1 RW 2
7	I-07	Male	46	Friends who have performed rituals	RT 2 RW 1
8	I-08	Male	35	Friends who have performed rituals	RT 2 RW 2
9	I-09	Male	34	Friends who have performed rituals	RT 5 RW 2
10	I-10	Female	32	Friends who have performed rituals	RT 1 RW 2
11	I-11	Female	31	Friends who have performed rituals	RT 2 RW 1

Data collection

This research uses ethnographic methods which include observation, interviews and recording. Research data was collected using interview guidelines from August 2021 to July 2023 in Javanese. The interview questions contained questions regarding the beliefs of the bride and groom and community leaders during the bathing ritual. Interviews were transcribed word for word and then transliterated into Indonesian and English with the help of Javanese language experts and professional translators and proofreading services. Apart from observational data, field data is also supported by photographs of cultural activities during the ritual. To obtain valid data, researchers used source triangulation techniques (Denzin & Lincoln, 2011).

Data analysis

The data obtained were analyzed using an interactive model (Miles & Huberman, 1994). The technique includes data reduction activities, data displays, conclusion drawing/verification moves and continues continuously until the data is considered satisfied and sufficient (Milles et al., 2014). While the implementation procedure is a preliminary study in the form of initial observations and literature studies. While the work to be carried out is; (a) data collection through interviews, observation, and document dismissal, (b) data processing-data analysis, (c) discussion, (d) drawing conclusions, (e) writing and publishing research results.

Research results and discussion

A brief overview of Sendang Modo and Kandangsapi Village

Kandangsapi Village is a village that is part of the Jenar District, Sragen Regency, Central Java Province, Indonesia. Kandangsapi Village is geographically located at coordinates 7°15 to 7°30 south latitude and 110° 45 to 111° 10 east longitude. The area of this village is 9.70 km² and is located at an altitude of 109 meters above sea level. This is as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Map of Kandangsapi Village, Jenar District, Sragen Regency.

The boundaries of Kandangsapi Village to the North: Banyuurip Village, to the East: Mantingan Village, to the South: Kontak Macan Village, and to the West: Dawung Village. Kandangsapi village is led by a village head and assisted by 23 village officials. In the government administration, Kandangsapi Village consists of 33 Neighborhood Units (RT) and 7 Resident Associations (RW). The population of Kandangsapi Village is 5,218 people. The productive age population is 2.82 people and the majority of them work as farmers. In terms of religion, the population is 94% Muslim and 6% Christian.

In Kandangsapi Village there is a spring which is sacred and is believed by the community to bring peace and happiness. The spring is formed naturally and is located on the slopes of the mountains. The spring is in the shape of a niche and the community built a wall, as shown in the Figure 2.

Figure 2. Sendang Modo, Kandangsapi.

Sendang Modo was first discovered by Sheikh Muhammad Nasyir and his followers in the XVII century. Syech Muhammad Nasyir is also known as ‘Singo Modo’. He is a cleric who cleared the land for the Pungkruk Hamlet settlement. In addition, he and his followers spread Islam to the people in the Jenar area and its surroundings. He died and was buried by his followers in Pungkruk Hamlet, Kandangsapi Village. Near this tomb a mosque was built and the congregation used the Sendang Modo water to purify (cleanse themselves of physical and spiritual impurities.

In 1730 AD Singo Modo and his followers discovered a water source at the foot of the mountain. Water sources continuously release water and form pools or pools of water. The water keeps coming out all year round and has never dried up until now. The spring water is used by local residents for cooking and bathing. In the XVII century, there were many incidents when the local people were seriously ill and difficult to treat, so they drank Sendang Modo water to become healthy. Since then, the people of the community have called this spring the name ‘modo’ because it was the one who discovered Singo Modo or Syech Muhammad Nasyir.

The name ‘modo’ also means ‘long’, what is meant by long in this context is longevity due to health. In addition, the community believes and believes that Sendang Modo water is efficacious and brings goodness. The surrounding community members then sanctify and make the place and spring water a means of traditional rituals, such as; prospective friends, for bathing women who are pregnant for seven months (tingkeban), bathing children who are about to be circumcised, for bathing women after giving birth, used for treatment for community members/visitors, and used for purification/ablution for people/visitors who will pilgrimage to the tomb of Singo Modo or Syech Muhammad Nasyir.

Cultural values in the ritual of bathing in Sendang Modo

The people of Dusun Modo believe that prospective friends who perform rituals at Sendang Modo will become a peaceful, prosperous, happy and lasting family until the grandfather ninen-ninen (grandparents). This is as conveyed by I-01 namely

Tyang-tyang dusun mriki percados, sinten mawon bakal temanten engkan nglampahi ritual adat siram dateng Sendang Modo bakalan tentrem, adoh sangking pacoban, lan dadi langgeng dumugi kaken ninen-ninen (Partisipant 2, 15 September 2022).

The people of the village here believe that those who want to do the traditional ritual of bathing in Sendang Modo will be peaceful, far away from trials, and will be eternal until the grandfathers and grandmothers.

Similar statements were made by other informants, one of whom was I-02 namely

Kula rumiyin nalika ajeng temu temanten gih nglapahi ritual siram dhateng Sendang Modo. Selami kula bebrayan selami tigang dasa tahun kalih bojo kula dados ayem, mboten nate congkrah dugi sak niki (Partisipant 4, January 10, 2023).

First, when I met my friend, I went to Sendang Modo to bathe. I have been married for three years, my wife and I have been at peace, we have never had a fight until now.

These beliefs and testimonies have been passed down from generation to generation until now. The goal is to avoid disaster, the wedding ceremony can run smoothly, be safe, and the family that is built will be a sakinah, mawaddah wa rahmah family (peaceful, full of love, and always blessed and protected by God).

The people of Dusun Modo generally carry out wedding ceremonies in the months of Besar, Jumadil Akhir, Rajab, Ruwah and Sawal. The months in the Javanese calendar are believed to be good months for getting married. Public. believe that if you carry out a wedding in the big month, the bride and groom will be blessed with sustenance, children, and also happiness. If you carry out a wedding in the month of Jumadil Akhir, the friendly couple will always be able to get through every problem and obstacle that comes into the ship of their household. If you carry out a wedding in the month of Rajab, the friendly couple will have abundant sustenance and wealth. If you carry out a wedding in the month of Ruwah, the friendly couple will get abundant fortune, safety and peace in the household ark that they will live in. If you carry out a wedding in the month of Shawwal, the couple will get a happy married life full of love and abundant fortune.

To build a household, the people of Dusun Modo carry out various processions and wedding rituals, starting before the wedding until the wedding day. The procession that is carried out before the wedding is the marriage proposal. A marriage proposal is a procession of a pair of lovers binding promises to the aisle. The man asks for approval from the woman he will marry. In addition, the two families then discussed the date, place and concept of the wedding. After they agree, then carry out the wedding ritual at the agreed time and place. At the time of the wedding, rituals of surrender, paes, dodol dhawet, widodareni, bathing in Sendang Modo and panggih are performed.

Surrender ritual is an activity carried out by prospective male friends giving objects to prospective female friends as gifts. Objects of offerings are usually in the form of equipment worn by women from head to toe, such as clothes, accessories, and so on. Paes is cleaning the face and body, as well as shaving the fine hair on the faces of female friends so that they look clean and shiny and smell good. Dodol dhawet is an activity carried out by the parents (father and mother) of prospective female friends who pretend to sell dhawet drinks (a drink typical of the Jabung Ponorogo area of Java, made from rice flour or sticky rice, and served with coconut milk and brown sugar). In the activity of selling dhawet, the buyers are guests and the purchase tool is in the form of tile fragments. The purpose of this process is so that many people are willing to attend the wedding procession. Widodareni is a visit by a male friend’s family which is carried out on the night before the wedding day to the female friend’s family. The goal is to form a close and harmonious relationship. The panggih ceremony is the highlight of a wedding. Prospective male friends and their families and companions visit the homes of female friends. A pair of prospective friends is declared as a legal husband and wife. Similar meetings are usually held by the women’s families, who are called sepasar temanten.

Panggih procession as described above, a pair of friends perform a bathing ritual at Sendang Modo. This bathing ritual in the spring has been carried out since their ancestors and has been continued by the next generation until now. The belief that develops in the community is that Sendang Modo water is believed to be the beginning of a source of life and is efficacious so that friends who bathe in the spring will find a broad way of life and avoid disasters. This was conveyed by I-02 viz

Warga dusun mriki percados bilih toya Sendang Modo menika awal mula sumber panguripan masyarakat mriki. Toya sendang nggih berkhasiat, saged damel tamba lan tolak balak (Participant 1, 5 May 2021)

Villagers here believe that the Sendang Modo river is the source of livelihood for the community here. Toyo is very efficient, able to make a tombo and reject the plan

(Residents of Kandangsapi Village believe that Sendang Modo water is the source of people’s lives. In addition, the community also believes that spring water has medicinal properties and repels disasters)

The bathing ritual in this spring is carried out in the morning (before sunrise) or evening (the sun begins to set). The stages of the activity are as follows:

1. Before carrying out the ritual of bathing friends at Sendang Modo

• a. Prepare uborampe to be used for the ritual.

The materials for the uborampe (equipment and offerings) were prepared by the friends’ families and then handed over to the pujonggo sendang (the person who was featured and the traditional clergy). Pujonggo Sendang was assisted by traditional leaders in preparing the uborampe and ensuring that the offerings and offerings were truly complete.

• b. Friends carry out farewell to both parents

Ritual friends ask permission and blessing from their parents to bathe in Sendang Modo. The friends who bathe in this spring intend not only to clean their bodies from dirt but also spiritual dirt so that their bodies and souls are pure when they enter the marriage stage.

• c. The caretaker of Sendang Modo worked together with local residents to clean up the spring and its surroundings as shown in Figure 3. This activity is carried out so that the water and the place to be used to carry out the ritual are in a well-organized and clean condition. This was conveyed by I-04 as follows

Figure 3. Residents working together to clean up the spring and its surroundings.

nalika wonten calon temanten ingkang ajeng nglambahi ritual, juru kunci kalyian warga nglaksanaken gotong royong ngresiki sendang lan papan panggone. Warga sareng-sareng nyengkuyung supados ritualipun lancar, slamet lan kabul kajate (Participant 3, 28 October 2022).

(When there are prospective friends who will carry out the bathing ritual in the spring, the caretaker and members of the community carry out community service activities cleaning the spring and its surroundings. The residents jointly participate in preparing everything so that the ritual event runs smoothly, safely and wish come true).

2. When carrying out the ritual of bathing in Sendang Modo

• a. Prospective female friends wear jarik and prospective male friends wear batik clothes as shown in the Figure 4. Prospective friends ask permission and pray from their parents or guardians to carry out the bathing ritual at Sendang Modo. Then they set off carrying rice and side dishes wrapped in banana or teak leaves and a wallet (a place to keep money). The side dishes are chicken heads and chicken feet. In addition, the family and residents in the surrounding area who accompanied the prospective bride brought uborampe and ritual offerings in the form of kembang setaman, menyan, dupa, jenang abang-putih, kelapa, terasi, kacang tunggak, Javanese chicken eggs, bananas, tumpeng and grilled chicken.

• b. The caretaker as the leader (pujangga) of the ritual and his helpers receives the offerings brought by the friends and family who deliver them. The caretaker and his assistant put the offerings on the edge of the spring. The caretaker invites prospective friends and residents who accompany him to sit in the places provided and specifically for prospective male and female friends to sit cross-legged on the edge of the spring as shown in the Figure 5.

• c. The ritual leader burns incense and incense and sprinkles flowers on the spring and then casts a spell. Next, the ritual leader lights two cigarettes and blows the smoke into the face of the prospective partner. After the ritual leader takes water from the spring with a dipper made of coconut shell and splashes it on the prospective friends. The sprinkling of spring water starts from head to toe and is carried out seven times. Furthermore, prospective friends are welcome to bathe and wash their hair individually as shown in the Figure 6.

• d. After the bath is finished, the prospective friend is asked to change clothes and then sit next to the ritual leader. Furthermore, the ritual leader, prospective friends and their escorts eat tumpeng rice together as shown in the Figure 7.

• e. After having a meal together and being friendly, the prospective friend and his escort will go home to the caretaker or ritual leader.

Figure 4. A pair of prospective brides heading to Sendang accompanied by their families.

Figure 5. Sendang caretaker prepares ritual uborampe.

Figure 6. The caretaker waters the potential friends.

Figure 7. Introduction of friends having a feast after friends taking a bath in the spring.

3. After the bathing ritual at Sendang Modo

• a. Prospective friends return home to be greeted by both parents and mixed with yellow rice mixed with coins, drink water from a jug.

• b. Candidates for friends are tied with scarves to behind his hips then by both parents into the house. Arriving at the house, prospective friends are welcome to rest and then follow the procession of gathering friends.

The cultural resilience of the bathing rituals at Sendang Modo

The bathing ritual at Sendang Modo, Kandangsapi Village contains the following cultural values:

• a. Religious values

Marriage for the residents of Kandangsapi Village is a sacred and sacred rite of life. Bathing in a spring does not only purify oneself from physical dirt but also spiritual dirt. Bathing in Sendang Modo awakens their spirituality in living a household life. They believe that the water they use for bathing has been blessed by God. With water blessed by God, the soul and body are clean. It is this clean body and soul that makes the people believe that God will grant safety, peace and prosperity to the bride and groom and the community.

• b. Collaborative value

The people of Kandangsapi Village are aware that carrying out the Sendang Modo bathing ritual is not only a matter for the prospective partner, but also for the family and community. This is what predisposes community members to actively participate without strings attached (gotong royong) starting from the preparation, implementation, and end of the bathing rituals. Community members not only provide energy and thought assistance but also material. Material donations include rice cooking spices, and other ritual uborampe.

• c. The value of responsibility

Parents or guardians of friends and community leaders allow and participate in carrying out rituals of bathing friends in Sendang Modo is a form of responsibility. The attitudes and behavior of parents and community leaders are responsibility to oneself, society, the environment (natural, social, and to God).

• d. Social values

The community carries out the ritual of bathing rituals at Happy Modo because they believe that carrying out this ritual will bring goodness to friends, their families, and society in general. On the other hand, if the people do not carry out this ritual, there will be unrest and disaster.

The values embodied in the ritual of bathing rituals at Sendang Modo as described above have the potential to become a source of cultural resilience. This is as conveyed by I-06 viz

Warga dusun mriki tansah ngugemi napa ingkang sampun dipun laksanaken dening leluhur. Warga tansah eling dhumateng ingkang dumadi, memamayu hayuning pribadi, keluarga, sasama (Participant 6, 15 August 2021)

Villagers here always hold on to what has been done by their ancestors. Citizens are always mindful of what is happening, taking care of their personal, family, and friends

The residents of Kandangsapi Village do not close themselves off from the outside world. They remain open and in contact with the outside community but not all values that come from outside are accepted. Society filters it, values from outside that are not suitable are rejected while values that are suitable are accepted and used as inspiration to improve and modernize themselves. These values make the community members try to preserve the ritual of bathing rituals at Sendang Modo as shown in the Table 2.

Table 2. Cultural values during rituals.

No	Ritual Activity	Culture value
1	Before the ritual
	a. The male residents carry out voluntary work cleaning the spring and its surroundings and preparing the ritual site	Collaborative value
	b. The female members of the prospective friend’s house prepare the uborampe ritual and consume it	Collaborative value
2	During execution
	a. Friends’ parents give their blessing to the prospective bride and participate in preparing for the ritual	Value responsibility
	b. The caretaker of the sendang lock welcomes the prospective friend and asks him to carry it out, as well as secures the course of the ritual	Value responsibility Social values
	b. Residents escort prospective friends to Sendang by bringing uborampe and food	Collaborative value Social values
	c. The ritual leader burns incense, incense, sows flowers in the spring and casts a spell	Religious values
	d. The ritual leader burns a cigarette and blows smoke into the face of the prospective bride and groom	Religious values
	e. The ritual leader pours flower water from the spring on the prospective bride and groom	Religious values
	f. The prospective bride and groom change their wet clothes into dry ones and then attend a social gathering and eat together	Religious values Social values
	g. The ritual is over, friends and family leave the ritual place	Social values
3	After the ritual execution
	a. The caretaker and the surrounding residents clean the place where the ritual is performed after using it	Value responsibility Collaborative value
	b. Residents help the bride’s family bring home or return ritual equipment	Collaborative value

Discussion

The Kandansapi Village community preserves the ritual of bathing rituals in Medium Modo as a form of appreciation for a cultural value. These values are considered correct, good, and important which are of real use for their survival (Cooke & Lazzeretti, 2019). These values are socially entrenched, taking place continuously from generation to generation through various social processes, such as interaction, diffusion, acculturation and social contact (Dewantara et al., 2023). Cultural values are interrelated, thus forming a value system and identity that is sacred to the people of Kandangsapi Village (Olendo et al., 2022). This is in line with Berger and Luckmann’s statement that ritual and identity have a close relationship. Through rituals, community members who perform rituals communicate and reflect on their existence and make it a marker of their identity (Berger & Dan Luckmann, 1973).

Life in the era of the industrial revolution 4.0 and society 5.0 is increasingly human-centered and technology-based. In this era, people are increasingly in contact with sophisticated computer technology, digitization, and artificial intelligence. People’s lives are increasingly globalized and boundaries between countries are becoming increasingly blurred (Nisa & Sofiana, 2022. In such an order of life, if the people of a nation do not have the ability to select and be aware of the culture they already have (cultural resilience), then local or national culture as identity and self-identity will gradually fade away (Holtorf, 2018). On the other hand, if the nation’s society has cultural resilience, the relevant foreign culture can be used as a driving element towards a more advanced, good and modern culture (Hanif et al., 2019a, 2019b).

The bathing ritual at Sendang Modo is different from traditional Javanese wedding rituals in general. Javanese people who carry out traditional wedding rituals, one of which is carrying out the siraman (bathing) procession. The purpose of carrying out the siraman is to cleanse the body and soul of the prospective bride so that the prospective bride and groom are clean, fresh and holy when starting a new life as husband and wife (Sa’diyah, 2020). The time for splashing is in the morning or evening at the house of the prospective female friends, and is generally carried out one day before the wedding ceremony. The water used for sprinkling is placed in a barrel and given a setaman flower. Dipper (a tool for collecting water) is made of coconut shell and is given a stalk of bamboo. In addition, the place for splashing is also given uborampe which contains symbolic meaning as advice for friends in living a married life (Ambarwati & Mustika, 2018). Thus it can be stated that the ritual of bathing rituals at Sendang Modo is substantially and essentially the same as the Siraman procession performed by Javanese people in general. Even so, the ritual of bathing in Sendang Modo is something unique and has become the identity of the people of Kandangsapi Village.

Rituals such as the bathing ritual at Sendang Modo have an important value as a cultural identity because (1) ritual is a medium of transformation from something that is profane to something that is sacred, (2) ritual is a transformation of attitudes from profane to something sacred (Rumahru, 2018). Therefore, the people of Kandangsapi Village consider bathing in Sendang Modo as a sacred ritual because it is part of the procession of breaking away from their family to enter a new family.

The Sendang Modo bathing ritual, apart from containing ritual values (Olendo et al., 2022), also has other cultural values, namely mutual cooperation, responsibility, and social values. For the Javanese, marriage is not limited to the marriage of a pair of prospective bride and groom, but also the family and society. In other words, the family and community of each prospective friend also build social interaction so that friendship will be built (Sulkhad, 2015). In addition, the mutual cooperation network is getting wider and stronger. Gotong-royong is a form of cooperative solidarity to achieve the desired results and the results are shared (Setiadi, 2020). The implementation of the ritual of bathing friends at Sendang Modo fosters voluntary attitudes, mutual help, togetherness, and kinship among the people of Kandangsapi Village. This is based on a simple idea that citizens are essentially brothers and sisters. If one member is sick, the other members of the community also feel sick, and vice versa. In addition, community members also realize that in turn they themselves or their family members carry out the bathing ritual at Sendang Modo.

The values contained in the ritual of bathing rituals at Sendang Modo predispose the attitudes and actions of community members in interacting with outside cultures. This is a sign that the members of the Kandangsapi community are fulfilled by their cultural value system so they are trying to preserve it. This is in line with the opinion of Kaplan & Dan Manners (2015) that values as a cultural system can survive and be preserved by their supporters if the cultural system can meet their needs. If that happens, society will maintain and harmonize with the dynamics of the era without losing its basic values. Thus cultural resilience must be interpreted dynamically, culture from outside is filtered and what is appropriate can strengthen the elements of local culture, and not vice versa (Holtorf, 2018). Thus cultural resilience is basically an effort to preserve and develop culture dynamically with more specific efforts by the supporting community.

Cultural awareness is an individual or community’s understanding and recognition of the values, norms, traditions and cultural identity they adhere to. Cultural awareness that can bind individuals and indigenous communities refers to a strong awareness of their own cultural heritage, which includes language, customs, art, myths, moral values, and various other cultural aspects. Indigenous individuals and communities who have a strong cultural awareness will be actively involved in carrying out traditional traditions and ceremonies (Fatmawati & Dewantara, 2022). This participation may include religious rituals, cultural celebrations, or other activities inherited from previous generations.

Understanding and using native languages is key to preserving cultural identity. Good cultural awareness can be reflected in efforts to maintain and transmit oral heritage, such as fairy tales, legends and folk tales. Cultural awareness can encourage individuals and indigenous communities to continue practicing traditional livelihoods that are appropriate to their culture (Gattino et al., 2022). This may involve traditional farming practices, distinctive crafts, or other methods that have been passed down from generation to generation.

Cultural awareness can include a deep understanding of local history and identity. Knowledge of the history of ancestors, heroes and historical events can strengthen a sense of identity and pride in cultural heritage (Casmana et al., 2023). Some indigenous communities have a close connection between their cultural identity and nature and the surrounding environment. Strong cultural awareness can produce a commitment to preserving nature and the environment in accordance with traditional values. A strong cultural awareness helps individuals and indigenous communities maintain the continuity of their cultural heritage, as well as stimulates a sense of solidarity and shared identity among them.

Conclusion

The residents of Kandangsapi Village carry out the ritual of bathing rituals at Sendang Modo because they consider that the water is efficacious and is the first source of life for the community. The goal is to cleanse his body and soul so that his marriage can run smoothly and the family he builds will be peaceful, full of love, and always protected by God. The ritual procession is as follows; (1) The prospective bride and groom arrive at the spring while carrying rice and side dishes wrapped in teak/banana leaves. The residents who took part in accompanying the prospective mate performed uborampe, (2) The caretaker of Sendang Modo and the ritual leader invited the prospective mate to sit cross-legged on the edge of the spring. (3) The ritual leader burns incense and incense and sprinkles flowers into the spring and then says a prayer, (4) The ritual leader lights a cigarette and blows the smoke into the bride’s face and then takes water with a dipper and pours it on the prospective bride and groom, (5) After the bath is over, the prospective bride and groom change clothes and return to sit next to the ritual leader, (5) The ritual leader gives advice about marriage and continues to eat together. The bathing rituals at Sendang Modo have religious, mutual cooperation, social, and responsibility values. These values have the potential to become a source of public awareness in interacting with outside cultures (cultural resilience).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Muhammad Hanif

Muhammad Hanif is an assistant professor at the Social Studies Education Postgraduate in Universitas PGRI Madiun. His current research interest are social science education, history, cultural, and character building. Email: [email protected].

Parji

Parji is a Professor in Social Studies Education Postgraduate in Universitas PGRI Madiun. His research focuses on character building, social science learning, and primary education. Email: [email protected].

Endang Sri Maruti

Endang Sri Maruti is a Lecturer in Primary Teacher Education in Universitas PGRI Madiun. Her research focuses on Javanese Language, primary education, culture, and literacy. Email: [email protected].

R. Sri Wahyuni

R. Sri Wahyuni is a master student in Social Studies Education Postgraduate, Universitas PGRI Madiun. Her research focuses on social science learning, culture, and history education. Email: [email protected].