Indonesia has several traditions in each region. One of the Indonesian traditions is the Sekaten Ceremony Tradition. The tradition of the Sekaten Ceremony is an Islamic cultural heritage in Java. A tradition that began in the Demak era, namely the era of the Islamic Kingdom after the collapse of the Majapahit Empire in 1400 Saka or 1478 AD.
It is well known that Javanese culture is largely the result of acculturation, and the Sekaten Tradition is no exception. There is a folklore that develops in the community that the Sekaten Ceremony is one of the cultural heritage values carried out from generation to generation by the ancestors.
In ancient times a similar ceremony was held annually by kings in Hindu land, in the form of salvation or offerings for the spirits of the ancestors. This ritual is held in two stages, as follows:
The first stage is called Aswameda which lasts for six days, in which there are prayers, praise and tetabuhan.
The second stage is called Asmaradana which is the closing ceremony on the seventh day, with the burning of a large incense accompanied by a moment of silence or meditation.
Subsequent developments, with the entry of Hinduism and influence into Java, the Aswameda and Asmaradana ceremonies also entered Javanese cultural life.
During the Majapahit Empire, the Aswameda and Asmaradana ceremonies were usually held in temples. Then, since the reign of Hayam Wuruk, the implementation has moved to the middle of the city which is marked by an offering ceremony called Srada (Offerings for the ancestors).
The Srada tradition intended for the late Queen Mother Sri Wishnu Wardani by Prabu Hayam Wuruk was held for seven days. A similar ceremony continued until the reign of King Brawijaya V with a much bigger crowd.
Prabu Brawijaya has a very famous gamelan set, known as Kanjeng Kyai Sekar Delima. Every year, people always sound the sound to enliven the crowd.
It is said that Raden Patah, a non-commissioned officer who is also the son of Prabu Brawijaya V, has embraced a new religion, namely Islam. Raden Patah plans to invade the Majapahit Kingdom if the King of Brawijaya is not willing to embrace Islam.
Hearing the news, King Brawijaya V was very sad and performed meditation or meditating for twelve days, begging the gods so that Raden Patah would cancel his intention to invade Majapahit.
Meanwhile, to entertain the heart of King Brawijaya V, Majapahit Gending experts created songs through the Gamelan Heritage of the Kingdom.
Not in accordance with what was expected, the gamelan strains even brought heartbreaking sorrow so that the King was even more sad to imagine the bad luck that would befall his kingdom.
Knowing this situation, the gending experts then ordered the niyaga to beat the gamelan hard. The rhythm is cultivated and calculated in order to arouse the spirit of the king.
Through this incident, the beating of the gamelan began to use the rhythm of acting. Sometimes the loud roar like Gamelan Lokananta with the rhythm awakens the soul to stir. Sometimes also gentle and heart-wrenching.
The Majapahit royal gamelan called Kanjeng Kyai Sekar Delima was then called Sekati, because it could add to the King of Brawijaya as seeg ati (shortness of heart). Come on, get interesting information and add insight from Indonesiar.com.
