AS a district that has strong cultural roots, Banyuwangi cannot be separated from cultural rituals. Almost all activities held are always related to rituals. The weather issue is no exception.
It's no secret that in Banyuwangi the weather is often mocked. Whether it's to maintain celebration activities, development projects to events organized by the government.
For cultural circles, maybe the name Ilham Triyadi is familiar. The man who is also a member of the Banyuwangi Cultural Heritage Team is one of the people who is often asked for help in making events such as celebrations up to the Banyuwangi Festival so that they are not disturbed by rain..
Inspiration said, the handlers of the rain have various ways to delay or divert rain so that it does not fall where it is intended. One of his friends who is usually called Kang Busairi uses a rain diversion ritual using a whip.
Usually he will accelerate the whip to several sides of the destination. The whip is similar to that used for jaranan arts. There are also neighbors, Kang Ibrahim who uses offerings and fasting rituals to prevent rain from falling during the activity. Coupled with holding hands during the activity.
“There are many ways, some of them have been passed down from their ancestors, some have studied science or used certain media objects,” explained the father of five children.
Ilham admitted that he started asking for help to become a rain charmer ten years ago. At that time he bought six kerises inherited from someone who lived in the Singotrunan Village.
the seller said, if one of the daggers has a function to ward off rain. In the beginning, Ilham did not really pay attention to this. Until then when he was building a house in the Paspan Village area, Glagah District, the weather is rainy.
One of his neighbors also teased him to use one of the daggers he had to ward off the rain. He then tried to use one of the keris he bought.
That's right, the rain that usually fell subsided after he used his heirloom dagger. “Shaped like a spear, his name is blering. After trying it turns out it can. My neighbor, who was initially joking, finally decided to buy my keris, but I'm not selling because I know the benefits,” Ilham said with a smile.
Since then, Ilham has often been asked for help by the people around him to be the charmer of the rain when there are celebrations. “At first I used ubo rampe, telon flower, and bitter coffee as a companion to the keris when you want to ward off the rain. After that, many neighbors asked for help,” kata Ilham.
Gradually, Ilham's services are no longer only used to ward off rain at village events, Banyuwangi Festixal events which often involve officials are also handled. The conditions are the same, besides praying he also always carries a bliring keris as a medium for his activities.
He explained that prayer to the Almighty God is still the main part of the process of driving away the rain that he does. In addition to using ritual devices, he also recited prayers and mantras to make the weather clear and rain not fall during that time.
Prayer is shown to beg for the Almighty God, Meanwhile, mantra is a language to communicate with supernatural beings, which according to him also need to be invited to communicate.
“There are people who say this is polytheistic and heretical, but this is culture. Besides that, like us and the supernatural being are the same inhabitants in this world, we also need to communicate with them as well as keep praying,” clear.
Of the many activities that have been handled, the man who is also a teacher at a junior high school in Rogojampi admits that he has succeeded more than he has failed. It is just, there are some categories of weather that are hard to deal with.
For example, the wind is strong or has already fallen hard. The essence of the ritual is to ask the wind to drive away the rain. So if the wind is erratic or already heavy, it will be difficult to dam it.
Like just before the patrol festival, which he said, it was too late so the rain could not be resisted. “I am often asked for help behind the scenes when there is a B-Fest. Yes, I can help as much as I can, we also pray,” said the man who is also a keris collector.
Ilham was once reprimanded by one of his colleagues for destroying the harmony and balance of nature. He was also shown a message from Blimbingsari Airport not to waste rain on the airport area.
even so, Ilham never wanted to be called a person who works as a rain charmer. It is just, with the ability that he naturally has, he admits that he will help if someone really needs it.
“Now I use new media, a small whip or if the Oseng people say gitik. If you use this the ritual can be shorter, even if I'm tight I don't need to prepare incense or flowers anymore. But everything comes back to God's will,” Ilham explained while showing the small whip he was carrying. (radar)
