List of Interesting and Unique Facts from the Tengger Tribe

VIVA – Indonesia is rich in diversity ethnicity, and culture. Indonesia also has some tribes that spread around regions, such as the Tengger Tribe.

The Tengger tribe are people who have lived in the area at the foot of Mount Bromo for generations, covering the areas of Malang Regency, Lumajang Regency, Pasuruan Regency, and Probolinggo Regency.

Tengger is taken from the names of Roro an-Teng and Joko se-Ger. Roro Anteng is the daughter of Brawijaya and Joko Seger the son of a Brahmin. According to legend, both were husband and wife.

They are bound to God to give up their youngest son, Raden Kusuma, with this being the beginning of the Kasada ceremony. Well, here is a list of interesting and unique facts about the Tengger Tribe.

1. Language

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Suku Tengger, suku yang mendiami dataran tinggi Broto Tengger Semeru, Jawa Timur

Photo :

• nusantara.news

The language used by the Tenggerese people is Javanese with the Tengger dialect. The most striking feature of the use of this language is that there are still words in the ancient Javanese language. The sound "a" at the end of a syllable, is pronounced "o" like most Javanese dialects of Central Java or East Java.

So, examples of the use of the Tenggerese dialect are ingsun (me), rika (you), paran (what). The use of language also recognizes levels such as kromo and ngoko.

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Suku Tengger, suku yang mendiami dataran tinggi Bromo Tengger Semeru, Jawa Timur

Photo :

• memotimurlumajang.id

If people see the Tenggerese people still often use sarongs, and it turns out to have meaning. Besides functioning to protect body temperature from the cold mountain air, sarongs are also believed to work to control behavior and speech. Well, the use of this sarong is still carried out by almost all Tengger people, from young to old, male and female.

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Tradisi Grebeg Tirto Aji Suku Tengger Bromo

Photo :

• VIVA.co.id/Dyah Pitaloka

The Kasada ceremony is carried out as a form of offering to Sang Hyang Widi as a form of gratitude for the gifts given to the Tengger Tribe people.

The existence of this ceremony makes it a cultural icon on Mount Bromo and attracts wildlife to visit. Yadna Kasada is a religious ceremony carried out by the Tengger Tribe community in the form of sending sacrifices to their ancestors in the crater of Mount Bromo.

The ceremony is inseparable from the story at the end of the Majapahit era that there was a daughter Roro Anteng who married Joko Seger. The fun thing is, this ceremony is carried out at night until the sun rises.

Ongkek is crops, livestock, and food that the Tenggerese bring to ask for blessings and prayers through shamans. Ongkek is considered a symbol of fertility, peace, and balance for the Tenggerese.

Shamans pray to the gods and bless the offerings of the people. Do not be surprised if the role of the shaman for the Tenggerese is still strong, because the role of the shaman is considered very influential in the life of the Tenggerese people.

Structurally, traditional shamans in the life of the Tengger Tribe are classified as people who are respected and become role models for the community, even more so than government institutions.

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Warga Tengger Rayakan Yadnya Kasada di Gunung Bromo

Photo :

• SP/ Iwan Heriyanto

The Unan-Unan ceremony is held once every five years at the foot of Mount Bromo. By Mahayana Hindu belief, this ceremony has the purpose to clean the village from the disturbed by ghosts or spirits.

A very strong tolerance is instilled by parents in their children, so that inter-religious people respect each other. The offerings are buffalo meat satay, tumpeng, and market snacks.

Uniquely the head, skin, and legs of the buffalo that have been slaughtered are left intact. Offerings that have been prepared with flowers on an ancak or bamboo coffin. When the Tenggerese perform this ceremony, they go around the village and end up at the village head's house to eat the prepared dishes.

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So, examples of the use of the Tenggerese dialect are ingsun (me), rika (you), paran (what). The use of language also recognizes levels such as kromo and ngoko.