The Kasada ceremony 14 june 2022
The Kasada ceremony is held at 14 June 2022. As one of Indonesia’s treasures, Mt. Bromo is keeping a story that has been preserved from generation to generation in the packaging of Yadnya Kasada ceremony.
Yadnya Kasada ceremony - or better known as Kasada ceremony - is one of the sacred ceremonies that have been carried out for centuries by the Bromo-Tengger society.
Mount Bromo’s Story Told: Yadnya Kasada’s Ceremony - 2022
The annual Yadnya Kasada ceremony is celebrated every mid year as the time is adjusted to the full moon in the Javanese calendar by the Hindu Tenggerese tribes. In the conventional calendar, this ceremony lasts for one month. The ceremony begins with a meeting of the Tengger elders. Then there will also be a ballet performance that tells the story of Rara Anteng and Jaka Seger.
The story of the martyrdom of "Roro Anteng" and "Joko Seger" is known as the story behind the holly Kasada ceremony. People believe that two lovers lived on the slopes of Mt. Bromo, named Joko Seger and Roro Anteng. After many years of marriage, they have not been blessed with children. Then Roro Anteng and Joko Seger decide to meditate at Mt. Bromo. God granted their request under one condition: Joko and Roro will have to sacrifice their last child. After agreeing to the terms, Roro became pregnant. After giving birth to the 25th child, the God of the mountain eventually asked Roro Anteng and Joko Seger to keep their word. Nowadays, to preserve the tradition, Tenggerese still make sacrifices in the form of goats, money, chicken, rice etc.
Praying at Poten temple and offering at Mt. Bromo's crater
Tenggerese gathered at the temple "Poten" located in the sea of sand to pray and seek for blessings. The Tenggerese pray alternately starting at dawn until the sun sets. While, at the peak of the Kasada’s ceremony at August 14th, the worshippers crossed the "Sea of Sand" to Bromo’s crater to bring the offer named “Ongkek”. It consists in rice, crops, livestock, and even money. It all is offered to the God of Mt. Bromo. Reaching the crater rim, the Tenggerese will throw all the offerings into the crater. They hope to get blessed by the Gods of the mountain. Tenggerese believe that besides being blessed by God, the Kasada ceremony also expresses their gratitude for the clemencies that they have been granted in the past.
More traditional ceremonies by the Tenggerese
Historically, the Kasada ceremony has been held ever since the days of the Majapahit Kingdom. Yet, the existence of the Kasada ceremony is still connected with other traditional ceremonies of the Tenggerese, such as "Entas-Entas”. Entas-Entas is a ceremony which aims to bring the spirits of Tenggerese ancestors alive using virgin children as media. They are named “Joko” and “Roro”.
Who, what, when & where
Kasada ceremony is an open ceremony to be witnessed and attended by anyone. In other words, it can also be attended by non-Hindunese, domestic and foreign tourists. Local non-Hindu people come to the ceremony to capture the blessed sacrifices once thrown into the crater. They believe that this catch will bring good luck in the year ahead.