Enjoy Indonesia

Have you ever imagined that in the middle of modernity and global influence which corrupt local culture little by little, there is a community which maintains its traditional customs and practically resistant to any modern touch? If your answer is yes, you are absolutely not day dreaming. Indeed, there is such community which insists to maintain the traditional way of life and live in simplicity without any single sign of modernity in their daily life. The community is better known as Kampung Naga villagers.

Kampung Naga is a traditional village located near the Garut-Tasikmalaya highway. The villagers are traditional because they are loyal in maintaining their local custom, which they inherit from their ancestors. You will see that they are completely different from any community living outside their village. One of the foundation of living in Kampung Naga is simplicity. For the villagers, maintaining local custom is homage for the ancestors (karuhan). Everything from outside what the karuhan have taught them is considered as taboo, which would cause misfortune and great disaster if violated.

Total population of Kampung Naga is not more than 311. All villagers live in their peaceful and fertile land near Ciwulan river. As a village, Kampung Naga is divided into several areas such as wood, river, race fields, and houses, each of which has borders which should not be violated because the villagers believe that each border is kept by a supernatural creature. If any single person dares to violate a border, the supernatural keeper will be offended and get angry, and it will cause the disaster comes. Therefore, the villagers should not build houses in race fields area or in other area except the houses area, because if they do, it means that they are violating the tenet of karuhan.

There are 111 buildings in Kampung Naga, consist of 108 houses, 1 public hall (bale patemon), 1 mosque, and 1 rice barn. The mosque, the public hall, and the rice barn are built in a row, facing east-west. In front of those buildings is a wide yard which the vilagers usually use for traditional ceremony. Houses are also built in a row, facing north-south.

The houses in Kampung Naga are built on stilts. The main materials are wood and plaited bamboo laths. The roofs are made of thatch palm leaves, palm fibers, or tall grass. The architecture and interior are designed in such a way so that air and natural light are well circulated. In addition, the structure of buildings in Kampung Naga is earthquake proof. It was proven on Wednesday, September 2, 2009 when a 7,3 RS earthquake shook Tasikmalaya. There was no single building in Kampung Naga broke down or had a serious damage. It becomes the basic for Green Building Council of Indonesia (GBCI) to make Kampung Naga as a sequential for green and energy saving architectural design certification.

Distinctive Features

The main interest of Kampung Naga is the calm and peaceful ambience, in which local traditional customs are well maintained—in contrast to recent modern villages. To reach Kampung Naga, you should walk down through hundreds steep stairs (sengked). Therefore, you need to be careful especially on rainy season. However, your struggle will be paid off when you reach the village and see these panoramas lie right in front of your eyes: refreshing green rice fields and the winding Ciwulan river all composed in a beautiful harmony with birds‘ chirps, the sound of flowing water and the fair zephyr which will make you instantly forget the difficult way that you‘ve been through to set your feet on the village.

The rules in Kampung Naga do not have any exception, including for the visitors from outside the village. If you come to this village, you also have to obey some rules such as not saying whatever comes to your head, not annoying animals, and not breaking tree branches or twigs. For the villagers themselves, they have even many more rules and taboos they call pamali, such as they are not allowed to paint their houses except with lime, not building their houses using bricks and cement, carrying out art performances only for local arts—meaning that no arts from outside the village are allowed, and many other rules. Those rules maybe strange for us, but indeed, the villagers are succeed in maintaining their traditional tenets by obeying the pamali.

Another special characteristic of Kampung Naga, like the Badui, the villagers do not allow any single modern thing entering their village. They do not even use electricity. Therefore, it is very dark when the night comes. The villagers use teplok or lantern to light up their houses while for the paths in the village, they use torches. It makes the experience of spending a night in Kampung Naga is worth trying and will be an unforgettable moment in your life.

Near Kampung Naga, there are two waterfalls which are too beautiful to miss. In the waterfall you can enjoy the fresh water and the natural view which will make time as if stops for you. However, you must be aware to leave the waterfalls when the sun sets, because the villagers of Kampung Naga believe that whoever stays in the waterfall until evening, he or she will be possessed by a supernatural creature who keeps the waterfalls.

The villagers in Kampung Naga also held some traditional ceremonies which usually hold on the months of Maulud and Syawal (Islamic calendar). If you want to attend the ceremonies, you must obey the rules along the ceremony.

Location

Kampung Naga is located in Neglasari village, Salawu sub regency, Tasikmalaya regency, West Java province, Indonesia.

Access

Located near the Garut-Tasikmalaya highway, Kampung Naga easy to reach by personal or public transportation. The village is on the valley of Ciwulan river, about 500 meters down from the highway. It is 30 km from Tasikmalaya, 26 km from Garut, and 90 km from Bandung.

Ticketing

Visiting Kampung Naga is free. However, it is recommended not to come on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday, because on those days, the villagers of Kampung Naga are doing a ritual called menyepi or avoiding any conversation about their village and customs.

Accommodation and other facilities

Although very popular in West Java, there is no electricity in Kampung Naga. The tourists who want to spend a night or more in this village should ask for permission from kuncen (the elders of the village) several days before. Without electricity, the facilities are minimal. On the other hand, you can feel to be really close to the nature and feel the uniqueness of living among well maintained traditional customs.

Most of the villagers in Kampung Naga speak Sundanese. Therefore, it is recommended for you who don‘t speak Sundanese to hire a guide. Kampung Naga has many villagers who can be your guide with flexible tariffs.

Right on the gateway into Kampung Naga, there is a wide parking lot for your personal vehicles. Around the parking lot, there are many kiosks selling souvenirs made by the villagers of Kampung Naga and some food stalls.

Source : Wisata Melayu

Read More......

Kampung Naga Village, Tasikmalaya District, West Java

Jelekong Village is a village famous painter. As many as 500 of about 4900 inhabitants village in that Baleendah District profession as a painter. While the rest of farmers and factory workers. Located in the south of Bandung, about 15 km from Bandung City.

Odin Rohidin. 70-year-old man was a pioneer painter in Jelekong. Odin Rohidin are self-taught painting, had poor communities across the Pasar Senen, Jakarta followed his elder brother who first moved to Jakarta. In early 1970, Odin Rohidin began pioneering as a village Jelekong painter. He gave his knowledge to teenagers interested in painting until they really can paint.

As time passes, Jelekong village grew into a village painter. Various themes such as landscape painting, horses, and koi fish born from the hands artists from the village Jelekong. And gradually, their works began to be known to foreign tourists.

Many orders paintings come from Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Netherlands and Malaysia. Even order paintings from Bali to reach 400-600 per week. Reach 50-60 million Rupiah. The price the painting itself vary between 1.900.000 Rupiah (size 90 x 50 cm) to 6.500.000 Rupiah (size 1.80 x 80 cm).

The development of painting in Jelekong undergone some changes. Starting from the theme of the paintings grow more varied with the addition and refinement of strokes objects or scratches. Also from the original painting technique using a palette knife and cokcrok, now developed using sponges.

Source : Balarea

Read More......

Beautiful Traditional Painting at Jelekong Village, South Bandung Regency

Cikondang village administratively located in the area of Lamajang village , Pangalengan District, Bandung Regency. Cikondang ward borders with Cikalong village and Cipinang village (Cimaung District) to the north, Pulosari village in the south, with Tribakti Mulya village in the east, and Sukamaju village in the west.

The distance from Bandung to this Cikondang Tradition Village is around 38 Kilometers, while from the central of Pangalengan district is about 11 Kilometers.

From the city of Bandung to the south through the Banjaran District and Cimaung District. The distance from Bandung-Pangalengan street which are in the Cibiana village to Cikondang Tradition Village is one kilometer. Cikondang name for this traditional area can be traced through the footprint of history, philosophy and physical evidence. Previously, this area was a fountain with the large trees called Kondang. Finally the old people call this place with Cikondang or Cikondang village.

The name was a combination of water sources and Kondang tree; Ci stands for the word comes from cai means water (water source), while Kondang is the name of the tree. Elders from Cikondang Village, Abah Ilin Dasyah said, that the villagers of Cikondang village believe karuhun (ancestors) is one of their guardians who spread Islam in this region. They called them Uyut Pameget and Uyut Istri. The tomb of both figures still there and well cared in the area of tradition house, or rather in the sacred forest.

At first, all forms of buildings in Cikondang using traditional architectural pattern, as we see in Naga Village, Cipta Gelar, Dukuh Village or Kuta Village. The total number of building about 100 homes. But around the year 1942, there was a large fire that destroys everything except the tradition house at the edge of forest.

According to Abah Ilin, the cause of fires due to negligence of a guest who carry the torch unwittingly suddenly licking the roof of a house made from palm fiber. Furthermore, people there wanted to rebuild this house. But because the materials to build traditional house requires quite a lot of material, while the material is available in the sacred forests are inadequate, they finally decided to build a house with a common architecture. Even so, the desire to build a house with general architecture must get approval from karuhun. So when it was, Anom Idil, tomb’s kuncen (caretaker of a sacred place) of Uyut Pamegeut and Uyut Istri, made ‘inner contact’ with the karuhun at the shrine. Request is granted. They were allowed to build houses with the general architecture except traditional house to keep preserved until whenever. "So until now, the Traditional House intact as before. Because the Traditional House is considered a lulugu (prickly) or a house should be maintained and preserved" said Ilin Dasyah. Until now, there are six kuncen that maintain the Traditional House, which Ma Empuh, Ma Akung, Ua Idil (Anom Idil), Anom Rumya, Aki Emen, and Anom Samsa. To occupy positions of kuncen on the Traditional House or chairmanships of Cikondang village, must pass through the appointment of a special mechanism. There are several requirements to be appointed as kuncen. Among the must have blood ties or are descendants of ancestral. He must be a man and selected based on wangsit (divine inspiration). This means that a child from kuncen who died not automatically be appointed to replace his father. He is worthy if it has received wangsit. Usually the child's nomination to become kuncen will be annihilated if the mindset is not in accordance with customary law of their ancestors.

Substitution of kuncen usually begins with the disappearance of kuncen's "wulung ring" who office at that time. The next person who found the "wulung ring” was confirmed to be a substitute kuncen. Wulung Ring can be called as a crown for kuncen at Cikondang Village. Kuncen who has elected, in everyday life, are required to wear traditional clothes Sundanese, complete with iket (headband). Kuncen’s positions include community elders, and the introduced of the pilgrim.

One residents characteristic of Cikondang Village are adherents of Islam. But in everyday life, they still believe in the spirits of the ancestors. This is manifested in their belief that their ancestors considered ngauban (protect) them all the time. That Ancestor is believed to save them from a variety of issues, as well as to prevent danger to any time is always threatening. Their primary ancestors are so revered is Eyang Pameget and Eyang Istri. Both this Eyang are trusted local communities as one of the guardian in charge of spreading the Islamic religion in the area of South Bandung. And in this Cikondang Village, the ancestors was left no trail. That's why, as a form of tribute to their ancestors, Cikondang Village community are always held ceremonies like a Wuku Taun.

In addition, they were very obedient and faithful obey all the taboos which instilled by the previous ancestors. Ceremony itself, the essence is communication between people with ancestors who are considered highly credited to them. In that ceremony, residents expressed their gratitude and thanks to his ancestors. Society not only maintain traditional ceremonies, but also protecting the environment. Communities know that they can enter the forest to fetch firewood from fallen trees, but can not cut them down. Communities outside Cikondang communities do not dare go because trust will be lost in it. The trees in the forest is still dense. Types of trees include masang wood, lengsar, puspa, and saninten. Many trees reach 2 meters in diameter. Every five years, to replace the fallen tree, communities plant the other tree, such as Rasamala, eucalyptus, and pine. Meanwhile, the type of animal in this forest, such as monkeys, wild pigs, and snakes.

Source : Balarea

Read More......

Cikondang Traditional Village, Bandung Regency - West Java