‘Tumaruntun Tambang Raras’ Ritual: ‘Sinden’ Seek Blessings from Departed Puppeteers

The "Mijil Gagat Waspa" song played in front of the Mbok Turah shrine as sinden (traditional vocalists) knelt, sending forth their prayer to the spirits of departed wayang kulit masters to receive their blessing.

KOMPAS/FERGANATA INDRA RIATMOKO

A number of sinden (female traditional vocalists) joined the procession of the Sinden Gathering at Omah Petroek, Pakem, Sleman, DI Yogyakarta, Tuesday (27/9/2022).

Paintings of legendary wayang kulit (leather puppet) artists were displayed on Tuesday (27/9/2022) next to the statue of Mbok Turah, a mythological figure, standing guard over Mount Merapi at Omah Petroek Karangklethak, a tourist attraction in Hargobinangun village of Pakem, Sleman, Yogyakarta.

The series of paintings present wayang kulit masters: the late Martopangrawit, Ki Gondo Darman, Ki Nartosabdo, Nyi Bei Mardusari, Nyi Painah, Nyi Ngatirah, Ki Manteb Sudharsono, Nyi Maria Magdalena Rubinem, Ki Timbul Hadiprayitno, Nyi Tjondrolukito, Ki Hadi Sugito, and Nyi Sri Suwarni.

Three senior sinden (female traditional vocalists), Nyi Endang Sri Sedep, Nyi Anik Sunyahni, and Nyi Mugini, brought dozens of young sinden to offer their prayers to the departed wayang kulit artists. From those predecessors and senior sinden, the young sinden conducted ngalap berkah (searching for blessings), absorbing the virtues of their predecessors.

“Today, sinden are smart because most of them go to school and graduate with a major in karawitan (music) or dance. However, their biggest temptation now is popularity. In the past, sinden had to be sharp, focusing on the play that dalang (puppeteers) were performing, not playing with their cellphones during performances," said Nyi Sedep.

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When she was young, Nyi Sedep was a vocalist for the famous puppeteer Ki Anom Suroto and Ki Manteb Sudharsono, now deceased. She also often received invitations to perform from Ki Gondo Darman (dec.) and Ki Hardjo Brahim.

"Ki Brahim is the biological father of Ki Manteb Sudharsono," said the senior sinden of the Surakarta Indonesian Karawitan Art Academy, now the Surakarta Indonesian Arts Institute (ISI Surakarta).

Nyi Sedep also collaborated frequently with the late gamelan composer, Martopengrawit, and became the sinden of Martopengrawit's typical gending (songs).

Symbolic

The Temu Sinden Tumaruntun Tambang Raras event commemorated the 91st birthday of Jakob Oetama and the 40th anniversary of the Bentara Budaya cultural institute. The passing down of the traditional art form from senior to junior sinden was symbolized by a handover of the statues of Nyi Tambang Raras and Puppet Nyi Sagopi. The story of Tambang Raras appears in the Serat Centhini or Suluk Tambang Raras, while Nyi Sagopi is the sinden of the Mandura Palace in the wayang play.

From the Mbok Turah shrine, the procession of sinden and dancers headed to the Jakob Well, a well that commemorates the national press figure and founder of the Bentara Budaya, Jakob Oetama. Water from the well was sprinkled on the sinden in a sign that they will continue endlessly to learn and gain knowledge of the wayang arts.

Water from the well was sprinkled on the sinden in a sign that they will continue endlessly to learn and gain knowledge of the wayang arts.

The sinden then linked hands as they head to the Omah Petroek courtyard to perform umbul donga, a group prayer. The prayer was led by dancer and ISI Surakarta teacher, Wahyu Santosa Prabowo, who collaborated with senior dancers from Solo, such as Djarot B. Darsono, Daryono Darmorejono, Hari Mulyatno, and Dorothea Quin. The procession ended with a prayer in front of Senthong Pasindenan at the Omah Petroek Complex.

Jakob also played a major role in giving the wayang kulit maestro room for expression. Jakob provided space in the Kompas daily to explore the cultural endeavors of wayang kulit puppeteers Ki Gondo Darman, Ki Nartosabdo, Nyi Bei Mardusari, Nyi Painah, Nyi Ngatirah, Ki Manteb Sudharsono, Nyi Maria Magdalena Rubinem, Ki Timbul Hadiprayitno, Nyi Tjondrolukito, Ki Hadi Sugito, and Nyi Sri Suwarni. Some were also given an opportunity to appear at the Bentara Budaya.

KOMPAS/FERGANATA INDRA RIATMOKO

Dozens of sinden participated in the procession of the Sinden Gathering at Omah Petroek, Pakem, Sleman, DI Yogyakarta, Tuesday (27/9/2022). The Sinden Gathering with the theme Tumaruntun Tambang Raras was held as a means of inheriting the sinden tradition from senior sinden artists to juniors.

A profile of Ki Gondo Darman was published on page 1 of Kompas’ 9 Oct. 1983 edition. The Kompas reporter, Sindhunata, described Gondo Darman as a brave, resolute, and spontaneous wayang kulit puppeteer. In Darman’s hands, the character of the giant Cakil becomes romantic and stylish.

In Darman's style, Gatotkaca is not only a role model, but also an ordinary young man who can laze around and sleep, clutching a letter from his girlfriend, even as his country prepares for war. Darman was an expert in expressing sadness and other emotions through his puppeteering.

“Darman can be accused of 'damaging the grip'. However, what's the use of ‘the grip’ if it becomes a dead tradition?" wrote Sindhunata, who is now the curator of Bentara Budaya and the head of Omah Petroek.

Absorbing knowledge

Sindhunata said that through this gathering and cultural procession of sinden, it was hoped that the younger generation of sinden would receive the blessings and knowledge of senior sinden. Moreover, the three senior sinden who attended the event had direct experience with the late wayang kulit masters.

"The request is that here they [young sinden] can receive the blessings of their seniors and predecessors so they can contribute to preserving culture," he said.

There is no doubt about the cultural significance of the three senior sinden, Nyi Endang Sri Sedep, Nyi Anik Sunyahni, and Nyi Mugini. Nyi Sedep once accompanied famous wayang kulit puppeteers such as Ki Anom Suroto and the late Ki Manteb Sudharsono as their sinden.

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Nyi Sunyahni, a sinden from Solo, soared in the entertainment world in the late 1990s to 2000s, when she collaborated with a campursari singer from Gunung Kidul, the late Manthous, also known as Anto Sugiarto. Meanwhile, Nyi Mugini, a senior sinden from Yogyakarta, actively participates in cultural events for Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) Yogyakarta.

Danira (18), a young sinden who is in the third grade at SMKI Bantul I state junior high vocational school, participated in the sinden gathering. “Since I was a child, I have loved singing Javanese songs. I like the karawitan and nyinden [vocal styles],” she said.

Danira does not know about her future prospects of becoming a sinden. However, because her hobbies are performing gamelan and Javanese songs, she intends to deepen her knowledge by pursuing a Karawitan major at ISI Yogyakarta.

That's why, even though they are now old, senior sinden who have [followed this path] are still known, the buzz is still there.

Nyi Sedep advised the young sinden that they should lead a simple life and not aspire to achieve instant popularity.

"Don’t just look for many [social media] followers. In the past, the singers followed a high tarak brata [spiritual path] through the mutih, ngebleng, kung kum [white rice, fasting, purification] and other practices. That's why, even though they are now old, senior sinden who have [followed this path] are still known, the buzz is still there," she said.

This article was translated by Hyginus Hardoyo.