The presence of Lecturers and Students of the Faculty of Cultural Studies (FCS) Universitas Brawijaya (UB) who have continuously accompanied the journey of the H3 Cultural Community (Hurip, Hurup, Handarbeni) in Mangliawan Village, Malang Regency since 2018 has showed significant impact that every step of the community’s development can be an exciting and constructive development for the community.
Dr. Hipolitus Kristoforus Kewuel, M.Hum., Franciscus Apriwan, M.A. lecturers of Study Programme of Anthropology (SPA), and Carolus Edra Aptana, a student of SPA, in 2023 had examined the H3 community activity called Pasinaon, which was an activity carried out by members of the H3 Cultural Community as forms of spring water conservation activities they have carried out so far.
“Our research found that this activity was a continuation or strengthening activities carried out by members of the H3 Cultural Community to conserve water sources. This was something unique and interesting because of their value of awareness to constantly understand about water,” explained Dr. Hipo.
He explained that Pasinaon‘s activities were a continuation of the previous activities because, since 2015, their focus was to work together to physically clean the river banks and to take care of the abundant water sources in the Mangliawan Village area.
“In the past, members of H3 Cultural Community and the people of Mangliawan Village worked to clean water sources and riverbanks, but through this Pasinaon activity, they conducted studies and discussions to understand water from various scientific aspects. In my opinion, this is an interesting dynamic that had occurred in this community. An academic study was needed to appreciate what they have done,” explained Dr. Hipo, who has been with this community since 2018.
Through a series of Pasinaon discussions (joint learning activism), members of the H3 community discovered that water has the fundamental nature of flowing from higher to lower places. That is why they strongly believe that the abundant water spring in Mangliawan Village came from Mount Bromo and Mount Semeru.
Considering this, members of the H3 Cultural Community traced back the water source to Tenggerese community at Mount Bromo and to build a shared perception on the water and the legends related. As it turned out, the Tenggerese community already had the same concept of thinking because every year they always performed water rituals at the Mangliawan water spring.
“This similarity in thinking and the support of cultural concepts from UB encouraged us to do something together not only with the Tenggerese at Mount Bromo but also with other communities along the Bromo-Mangliawan water spring. This makes us feel one with the four community groups that support the Tengger tribe: the people of Pasuruan, Probolinggo, Lumajang, and Malang,” said Orin, one of the H3 leaders.
According to him, four significant points could be used as water ritual centers, including Sendang Widodaren, Bromo; Sumber Pitu, Nduwet, Tumpang; Sendang Wringin Sono, Tumpang; and Wendit Water Source, Mangliawan.
“At the end of this study, we tried together with the community to plan the implementation of a water ritual festival as a continuation of this study. Members of the H3 Community welcomed this idea, so we are now preparing everything for the implementation in July 2024 to coincide with World Water Day,” explained Dr. Hipo. [dts]
