AL ALBAB Volume 5 Number 1 June 2016

SEREN TAUN GURU BUMI

HARMONY OF ISLAM AND PASUNDAN CULTURE

Abdurrahman Misno BP
College of Islamic Economics of Tazkia Bogor
[email protected]

Abstract

The advent of Islam in Tatar Sunda (West Java) lent a new color to the culture
that had previously existed there. The nature of Islam which was friendly to
the local culture, made it easy to be accepted by the Sundanese people without
bloodshed. The results are a variety of cultural rituals rooted in Sundanese cul-
ture yet rich with Islamic culture. Seren Taun Guru Bumi is one of the rituals
of the Sundanese people deeply-rooted in the belief of Nyi Pohaci (Dewi Sri) as
the goddess of fertility. The involvement of the researcher in this ritual made the
data a primary source which is the implementation of Seren Taun Guru Bumi
in Sindang Barang Cultural Village, Bogor, West Java. This research shows that
the ritual of Seren Taun Guru Bumi is a form of Islamic harmony with the Sun-
danese culture. Islamic culture assimilates in the frame of Sundanese traditions
in Tatar Sunda, in which both are brought together in the ritual as a form of
gratitude to God Almighty.

Keywords: Seren Taun Guru Bumi, Acculturation, Sunda, Sindangbarang, Bo-

gor

BACKGROUND
Humans as homo religion have the instinct that there are other forces outside
them which manifests itself in various forms of belief in the power of gods
and goddesses that can bring good or bad. This belief leads humans to feel
the need to give an expression of gratitude and thanks for the good things
they receive in this world. Humans also feel the need to make certain rituals
to avoid the wrath of the gods. The belief in gods has spread across Indonesia,
from the Anak Dalam tribe in Jambi to the Dani in Papua. It was present in
various types of people, from coastal communities to the agricultural society,
each having a variety of their respective beliefs.1

1
Johan Iskandar and Budiawati S. Iskandar, Agroekosistem Orang Sunda, Bandung:
Kiblat Utama, 2011, p. 46.

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One of the many beliefs that exist in the agrarian society in Indonesia is the
goddess who is reagrded as the origin of rice. The goddess is believed to be
the protector and maintainer of rice plant that becomes the staple food of an
agrarian society. Known as Dewi Sri, she is a woman who became the goddess
of the ruler and the goddess of fertility for rice plant. Dewi Sri in the Sunda
agrarian society, according to research conducted by Hidding, is known as
Nyi Sri Pohatji Sanghyang and often associated with the myth of the origin of
the rice in West Java.2 This myth says that the rice plant was derived from the
body Dewi Sri or Dewi Tisnawati that was buried.3
Belief in the goddess has resulted in the ritual of exaltation in the form of
offerings and ceremonies. The Baduy, believed to be a native Sundanese people,
are still practice the traditional way of the rice planting as a form of glorifying
Nyi Pohaci. Starting from the beginning of the planting accompanied by
angklung to harvest and storage in the leuit, all is carried out solemnly.4
Seren Taun Guru Bumi is one of the rituals performed by the agrarian society
in Indonesia, especially in West Java. The ritual is still practiced today. Even
in some places like in Kuningan and Bogor, it has become one of the cultural
tourism which attracted many foreign and domestic tourists. Actually, the
ritual practice is not only the exclusive Sundanese culture, but it also takes
place in many other communities of Indonesia since this celebration is usually
held by a series of ritual of sedekah bumi.5
The ritual of Seren Taun Guru Bumi continued to be practiced until Islam
came and was embraced by the Pasundan society. Then there was another
attempt to complete each other between Islam and Sundanese culture to
create a harmony between Islam and Sundanese culture in the form of ritual
ceremonies of the Seren Taun Guru Bumi. In the perspective of anthropology,
this ritual can be categorized as a form of acculturation between the Sundanese
culture and Islam, but on the negative side it can be regarded as a form of
syncretism between Islam and Sunda.6
2
Soepanto, “Asal Mula Padi (Tjerita Rakjat dari Pasundan)” in Kumpulan Tjerita
Rakjat Indonesia, (Bandung: Urusan Adat-Istiadat dan Tjerita Rakjat Dep.P.D dan K Djawatan
Kebudayaan, 1963), p. 22-25.
3
Hariani Santikno, “Dewi Sri: Unsur Pemujaan Kesuburan pada Mitos Padi” in Majalah
Ilmu-ilmu Sastra Indonesia. No. 13 AK PIA/1977, p. 53-67.
4
Abdurrahman Misno, Reception Through Selection Modification: Antropologi Hukum
Islam di Indonesia, Yogyakarta: Deepublih, 2016, p. 154.
5
Edi S. Ekajati, Masyarakat Sunda dan Kebudayaannya (Jakarta: Giri Pasaka, 1984), p.
129.
6
Irwan Abdullah, “Kraton, Upacara, dan Politik Simbol: Kosmologi dan Sinkretisme di
Jawa”, in Humaniora, No. 1, Vo. 1, 1990, p. 87. Also read Parsudi Suparlan, “Kata Pengantar”
in Mujahirin Thohir, Wacana Masyarakat dan Kebudayaan Jawa Pesisir (Semarang: Bendera,
1999), p. 25. Also read Mark R. Woodward, Islam in Java: Normative Piety and Mysticism in

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As a communal ritual, the practice Seren Taun Guru Bumi is a manifestation

of belief and local culture. Since culture is a ‘system’ symbol which serves to
direct the behavior of religious people,7 in the practice of Seren Taun Guru
Bumi, religious texts are negotiated creatively to a give new meaning. As a
consequence, the process of disposal or even deviation from religious texts
is inevitable.8 This is evident from the origins of this tradition which is an
attempt to glorify Dewi Sri that was derived from pagan beliefs, and when
Islam came it was mixed with Islamic culture.
Based on the background of the problem, it can be seen that the currently
practiced ritual ceremony of Seren Taun Guru Bumi is the result of harmony
between Islam and Sundanese culture, then how exactly was the pocess of this
harmony? Moreover, how exactly could this ritual become an integral part of
Pasundan society? This article examines the procession of Seren Taun Guru
Bumi in Cultural village of Sindang Barang, Bogor, West Java.

SEREN TAUN GURU BUMI IN SUNDANESE PUBLIC DISCOURSE

Seren Taun Guru Bumi is a ritual to glorify Nyi Pohaci as the goddess of rice
among the Sundanese people. This ritual has been going very long since the
formation of this tribe. It was also allegedly a tradition of the agrarian society
in other regions such as India, Thailand, Champa and other Asian regions.
The Seren Taun ritual is held at the cultural village of Singdang Barang is re-
implemented after tens of years of inactivity. The cultural village of Singdang
Barang itself is a settlement that is made as a miniature village of the past
Sundanese culture. According to Abah Ukat, an elder in the cultural village
of Sindang Barang, Seren Taun Guru Bumi is an attempt to ngamumule
(preserve) the Sundanese culture, especially in Bogor that has already started
to disappear.9
The best time to carry out the Seren Taun ceremony is at the beginning of the
Hijri year, from 1st to 15th day. On these dates the moon will rise, precisely on
14th-15th day which is in Sundanese called “caang bulan opat belas“. On this
day, the people in the past often carried out the ngabungbang. The purpose of
the ceremony to be held at the beginning of the Hijri year is to appeal to Allah
that our hearts will be like caang bulan opat welas. “The point is to be saved the

The Sultanate of Yogyakarta (An Arbor: UMI, 1988) dan by Clifford Geertz, Santri, Priyayi,
Abangan in Masyarakat Jawa, (Jakarta: Pustaka Jaya, 1981).
7
Clifford Geertz, The Interpretation of Culture, (London: Sage Publication, 1970), p. 65.
8
Ali, As’ad Said, “Bukan?-nya Seorang Gus Dur”, in Kata Pengantar Gus Dur Bertutur,
Jakarta: Harian Proaksi, 2005. p. 10.
9
Interview with Abah Ukat in January 2016.

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AL ALBAB Volume 5 Number 1 June 2016

next world,” said Abah Ukat.10

Implementation of the Seren Taun Guru Bumi in the cultural village of Sindang
Barang has undergone several changes, in particular adjustments to Islam as
the religion of the people there. For example in it is carried out in the month of
Muharram, where cow slaughtering is performed in accordance with Islamic
teachings and the meat is distributed to orphans and the poor. Prayer recited
by a cleric is also currently using Islamic law.
Harmony here is understood in terms of the harmony between Islam and
Sundanese culture. This means that the dialog between Islam and Sundanese
culture did not separate them, the opposite in fact happened where it appears
the Sundanese culture is rich with Islamic influences. Harmonization between
Islam and Sundanese culture has been going on since Islam came to this region
in peace. So there is no serious conflict between Islam and Sundanese culture.
Even the term common among Sundanese people is Sunda teh Islam, Islam
teh Sunda (Sunda is Islam and Islam is Sunda).11 This occurs because the two
have the same guidelines, especially in terms of ethics and everyday behavior.
Research on the ritual of Seren Taun Guru Bumi has been carried out several
times, especially by students at the Faculty of Humanities, University of
Indonesia. However, none of the research talked about acculturation or
harmony that constitutes the elements of the ritual today, i.e. the theory of
acculturation between Islam and Sundanese culture. The research focused
more on the discretion of Sundanese culture and customs, despite the fact
that this ritual is rich with the Islamic values which have been merged into the
Sundanese culture.
The ritual of Seren Taun Guru Bumi is the harmony between Sundanese
and Islamic culture that comes from the Middle East with arid desert sands
combined with the culture of an agrarian society in the tropics. According to
the analysis by Bambang Pranowo, this is a natural thing because theoretically
a tradition works by creating something that is passed down from generation
to generation, and its form still exists today.12
From this concept, the Seren Taun ritual can be understood in Tibi’s
anthropological paradigm as a process of acculturation, assimilation,
diffusion, and adaptation. Islam is understood as a collection with variations
of interpretation in the context of the locality Seren Taun. Islam adapted and
interacted with culture, so that in the concept of Habsbawn as quoted by
10
Interview with Abah Ukat at the cultural village of Sindangbarang.
11
Misno, Sunda teh Islam, Bogor: STAI Al-Hidayah Press, 2015, p. 76.
12
Bambang Pranowo, “Runtuhnya Atkhotomi Santri-Abangan”, in Jurnal Ulumidatn,
No. 02, Th. IV, 2001.

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Pranowo, Seren Taun tradition necessitates two concepts of culture, i.e. the
process of inheritance and construction.13
In line with the previous analysis, Ignaz Kleden’s concept about cultural
change can help to see how far the process of inheritance or conservation, and
construction of the Seren Taun tradition, how it works and finds its context.
Kleden provided five concepts, namely (1) at the level of the value system
is from the integration, disintegration to reintegration; (2) at the level of
cognitive system is through orientation to disorientation to reorientation; (3)
at the institutional system, the change is from organization to disorganization
to reorganization; (4) at the level of interaction is from socialization,
dissocialization to resocialization; and (5) at the level of behavior, the process
is from acceptance of behavior, refusal of behavior and acceptance of new
behavior.14
Some changes and cultural shifts in the Seren Taun tradition in accordance
with the concept of Kleden which stands out is the change in cognitive systems
that religious knowledge was once filled with local beliefs has changed to more
Islamic.
Islam’s interaction with Sundanese culture in the tradition of Seren Taun as
analyzed with the concepts suggested by Bassam Tibi, Pranowo and Habsbawn,
Nur Syam,15 found a relevance with other anthropologists who emphasize
the Islamic acculturation in the local culture, i.e. Mark R. Woordward,16
Muhaimin17, John Ryan Bartholomew18.
In contrast to the analysis of the theorists of acculturation of Islam and local
culture, Islamic syncretism theory can be used to look closely at the tradition
of Seren Taun in Sindang Barang. As advocates like Clifford Geertz19, Neils
Mulder20, and Erni Budiwanti21 who examined Islam Wetu Telu, could give
birth to assumption that the Seren Taun ritual is a description of syncretism

13
Bambang Pranowo, p. 9.
14
Ignaz Kleden, Sikap Ilmiah terhadap Kebudayaan (Jakarta: Grameata, 1987), p. 169-
170.
15
Nur Syam, Islam Pesisir (Yogyakarta: LKiS, 2005).
16
Mark R. Woodward, Islam Jawa Kesalehan Normatif Versus Kebatinan (Yogyakarta:
LKiS, 2006).
17
Muhaimin AG, Islam in Bingkai Budaya Lokal Potret dari Cirebon, (Jakarta: Logor,
2001)
18
John Ryan Bartholomew, Alif Lam Mim: Kearifan Masyarakat Sasak, (Yogyakarta:
Tiara Wacana, 2001).
19
Clifford Geertz, Santri, Priyayi, Abangan in Masyarakat Jawa, (Jakarta: Pustaka Jaya,
1981).
20
Neils Mulder, Agama, Hidup Sehari-hari dan Perubahan Budaya, (Jakarta: Grameata
Pustaka Utama, 1999).
21
Erni Buatwanti, Islam Sasak, (Yogyakarta: LKiS, 2000)

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between Islam and local belief in Sindangbarang. In other words, there is a

process of integration between two or more cultures (Islam, Hindu, Buddhism,
and Animism) in the Seren Taun ritual.
Mulder’s concept of syncretism in the Seren Taun ritual provides two basic
concepts, i.e. (1) the culture can be understood as a cultural arena that
facilitates the existence of some elements of culture that serve as a shaper; and
(2) because it serves as a cultural arena, it could give birth to the implication
in form of struggle for cultural contestation.22 With reference to the concept
of Mulder and theoretical implications, as far as the author observed, the
preservation of Seren Taun ritual until now shows no cultural resistance
from the local community. Instead, the two rituals contribute sociological
form of consolidation of public functions that yearn for yearn for harmony.
Indigenous or local tradition that grows among the people of Sindangbarang
received guidance from the teachings of Muslim traditionalists.
This research used an ethnographical method with a phenomenological
approach. Data collection used in this research was the method field
research with an anthropological approach, and the analysis used methods of
observation, interviews and documentation. Observations were carried out
by following the process Seren Taun Guru Bumi ritual in the cultural village
of Sindang Barang, Bogor. Observations were conducted on December 18 to
January 24, 2016, from Monday through the peak of the ritual which was on
Sunday.
In-depth interviews were conducted with key figures in this ritual, especially
the indigenous elders in Kampung Sindang Barang, Bogor. Snowball technique
was used, by looking for an informant who led to others who know about this
ritual. Meanwhile the documentation was held at the Faculty of Humanities of
the University of Indonesia to review the documents, books, scientific reports
and resources relevant to this study.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SEREN TAUN GURU BUMI IN THE

CULTURAL VILLAGE OF SINDANG BARANG, BOGOR, WEST JAVA
PROVINCE, INDONESIA
The Cultural Village of Singdang Barang is located in the Village of Pasir
Eurih, Tamansari Subdistrict, Bogor Regency, West Java Province. Located
only 5 kilometers away from the city of Bogor or 60 kilometers from the city
of Jakarta. The village is located at an altitude of 350-500 meters above sea
level, consisting of 14 wards and 54 neighborhood associations with a total

22
Neils Mulder, Agama, Hidup Sehari-hari dan Perubahan Budaya, (Jakarta: Grameata
Pustaka Utama, 1999), p. 70.

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population of 1,200. Most of the inhabitants are sandal and shoe makers, and
farmers.23
The history of Singdang Barang region has been known and recorded in the
Chronicle of Pakuan / Pajajaran as one of the important areas of the Sunda
and Pajajaran Kingdoms. This is because Sindangbarang housed one of the
royal palaces where one of Prabu Siliwangi’s wives named Dewi Mayang
Kentring Manik Sunda lived, while the ruler of Sindangbarang at the time was
Surabima Panjiwirajaya or Amuk Murugul. Even the son of Prabu Siliwangi
and Kentring Manik Mayang Sunda named Guru Gantangan was born and
raised in Sindangbarang. Until today there are archaeological remains i.e. the
park of Sri Bagenda in Sindangbarang, with a pond with a length of 15 x 45
meters, and 33 spots of Punden Berundak.24
The people here are actively involved in the Seren Taun Ceremony which can
be seen from their enthusiastic participation in the ritual. In Sindangbarang
village, there are eight kinds of Sundanese arts that have been revived and
preserved by its inhabitants. Here, there are also archaeological sites of Pajajaran
royal heritage in the form of terraces. In Sindangbarang, the traditional
ceremony of Seren Taun Guru Bumi is held every year as an expression of
gratitude of the community to God Almighty, and for the crop yields obtained
this year and to hope for better harvest.
To preserve the traditional arts in the cultural village, gamelan dance training
for young people is held free of charge. Youngsters who have advanced in their
respective arts will be involved in performances to welcome guests which will
contribute to their income. To preserve the archaeological sites, the cultural
village collaborates with the FIB UI to conduct research, documentation and
organizing seminars on the Pajajaran royal heritage sites. The folklores about
Sindangbarang have been recorded by those from the FIB UI. Currently, adat
houses and traditions in the cultural village of Sindangbarang have also been
reconstructed and revived.
Revival of culture and adat houses is in fact necessary in order not to lose the
Sunda identity. Staying with the kokolot will be a unique experience in this
village because guests will feel the atmosphere of everyday village life. Here,
guests will stay with the kokolot and artists who actually live in the village
culture. Guests will also see women pounding rice in saung lisung, cooking
with firewood and hawu (Sundanese traditional stove), watching farmers
23
Direct observation on 17 January 2016.
24
Agus Aris Munandar, Mengenal Situs-situs Kepurbakalaan Megalitik di Wilayah
Sindang Barang Bogor, Paper presented at a discussion on Seren Taun held by Simpay
(Paguyuban Guar Sunda) and the Center for Development of Arts and Culture of the Faculty
of Humanities of the University of Indonesia.

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doing farming activities, and learning arts.

The attributes that accompany the Ceremony of Seren Taun Guru Bumi in
Sindangbarang village, as mentioned above consisting of eight kinds of art,
will enliven the ceremony. These arts among others are calung, martial arts,
dance, gamelan, reog, etc.
Rice which serves as an important part of the seren taun ceremony is
complemented by fruits and vegetables that are all derived from local yields.
Music, dance, and other attractions add to the attractions of the annual event.
The event of Seren Taun is usually filled with a variety of other forms of
entertainment. Community leaders, elders, community members, local and
foreign tourists join the festivities in the village.
Seren Taun is a Sundanese community ritual performed every year, taking
place solemnly and lively in the village of Pasir Eurih, Sindangbarang, Bogor,
West Java. The traditional ceremony as a celebration of this agrarian society is
enlivened by thousands from Bogor and the surrounding communities, even
from several areas in West Java and abroad. “
The annual event is attended by community and traditional leaders of
Bogor Sundanese with activities being centered in the cultural village of
Sindangbarang, Pasir Eurih Village, Tamansari Sub-district, Bogor Regency.
Those who want to see cultural or artistic activities of the Sundanese are
welcome, because the event is open to the public and free of charge,“ said
the pupuhu (traditional leader) of the cultural village of Sindangbarang, A.
Mikami Sumawidjaya.25
The indigenous or Sundanese arts to be shown in Seren Taun among others
are ritual of circumcision of a child, starting from sawer sudat, parade around
the village, and sebret kasep. The event is interesting because there are 30 boys
that will be circumcised in accordance with the Sundanese tradition and filled
with art performances during the three phases of mass circumcision. “Seren
Taun is held with the purpose of expressing gratitude and joy to God for all
the sustenance received by the community over the past year and pray for
abundant harvests and avoid disasters in the years to come,” said Sumawijaya.
In addition to performances of Sundanese arts such as jaipong dance, kendang
rempak dance, pencak, angklung gubrak, and reog, there is also a puppet
show. In addition the event is also filled with the Munday ritual (parading
and slaughtering cows for alms and side dishes), fishing in the river, and cake
giveaway.

25
Interview with Ahmad Maki Sumawijaya during the event of Seren taun Guru Bumi
18 January 2016.

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The peak of Seren Taun is helaran dongdang which is a procession of people

who carry dongdang (ornate container) containing crops and other community
economic product. Following the procession, various Sundanese arts are
displayed. The highlight of this event was held on January 24, 2016 on Sunday
from 08.00 until late afternoon. A series of rituals are performed in front of the
village elder in Sindangbarang Cultural Village complex, Bogor.
The ritual of Seren Taun Guru Bumi is the ancestral heritage of the Pasundan
community, which according to the elders, it must be preserved despite the swift
the new culture as well as that of the Western. So whatever the consequences
are, the ritual has to be implemented. Those who obey and those who disobey
or pros and cons continue to be the talk of the elders of the pasundan culture.
The traditional festivities of Seren Taun Guru Bumi in Sindanngbarang Bogor
this year began to be held on Monday, from January 18 through January 24,
2016. It began with a visit by the traditional leaders of Bogor Sundanese in
Sindangbarang to the tombs of the ancestors on Gunung Salak. This ritual
was carried out at night where people carried equipment such as parupuyan
(censer), perfume, flowers of seven types, coffee, milk, tea and cigarettes. A
kokolot served as a leader in this tomb visit.
The procession began with a kokolot (an elder person) who knelt in front of
the tomb of Eyang Cakra Bumi on Gunung Salak. After reading some mantras
and prayers then some incense was burnt, and the atmosphere was quiet with
the scent of incense being burnt and the smoke rising into the sky. According
to Aman Kang, smoke is a medium to communicate with the spirits of the
ancestors who have died.26 After incantations and prayers were completed,
then all members of the group returned to their respective homes.
The next stage of the ritual of Seren Taun Guru Bumi is to take water (which
is considered holy) by the public at Sindang Barang, Bogor. The water taken
from sacred wells Jalatunda is believed to have an effect for those who
drink and take a bath there. The water is then brought to the kokolot’s home
accompanied by the community and other indigenous leaders. Then the
procession continued and accompanied by Sundanese cultural arts or arts
performed by the surrounding communities. A group of people were carrying
rice, vegetables, fruits, and livestock.
The celebration of this ritual is when people bring dongdang (a type
of stretcher) filled with fruits, vegetables and other crops. Each RT
(neighborhood association) and RW (ward) in Pasir Eurih brought dongdang
which was carried by four men. Some women also accompanied the group
26
Interview with Kang Aman at the tomb visit as part of Seren Taun Guru Bumi in
January 2016.

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with a complete angklung in Sundanese traditional clothes. In the ritual of

Seren Taun Guru Bumi, people usually carry two bunches of rice paddy to be
delivered to the village elder to be stored in the barn (leuit). According to the
village elders, this is a time of preparation by the community if anyone needs
it. At that moment, the leuit will be opened to provide food to those in need.
The culmination of the Seren Taun Guru Bumi ritual is storing rice into
the leuit (typical Sundanese rice barn), which is the final rite in a series of
processions. Storing rice in the leuit is done in a solemn manner accompanied
by Sunda songs as “entertainment” for Nyi Pohaci who is going to “sleep”.
Finally, a religious leader will close the ritual with a prayer for the safety of the
whole community in Singdang Barang.27
In some areas in Tatar Sunda, in the event, people usually bury a cow head
into the ground. However, this tradition is no longer practiced in the cultural
village of Sindang Barang. The cow that has been slaughtered is then distributed
among the orphans, the poor and guests who come to the event. Similarly, a
ritual that may contain polytheistic practices is not carried out as part of their
Islamic faith.
After the ritual is completed, everyone will be entertained with a variety of
traditional arts. Even the arts stages are provided, usually more than one or
even five stages, each being filled by various kinds of music and arts, even the
original art of the Chinese lion dance. In addition to arts, temporary markets
also help enliven the event. To entertain visitors, the event may take more than
one day, and maybe up to three days or a week. This ritual, in addition to a visit
by the community itself, it is also attended by visitors from outside the village
such as Jakarta and even foreign tourists from Denmark.
Seren Taun Guru Bumi has become the annual folk festivity for the community
in Sindangbarang in particular and Bogor in general. They are comforted by
this event so that in the future it must be preserved. The participation of the
local government is very important for the sustainability since it requires a lot
of fund.28

HARMONY BETWEEN ISLAM AND PASUNDAN CULTURE

The harmony between Islam and Sundanese culture in the Seren Taun Guru
Bumi ritual in Sindangbarang village is an acculturation between the two. The
Islamic form of harmony is when introducing the values ​​of gratitude to the
27
The event of the Seren Taun Guru Bumi ritual at the cultural village of Sindangbarang
is not much different to that carried out in other indigenous villages, for example in South
Sukabumi Cisungsang.
28
Interview with Ahmad Maki Sumawijaya in January 2016.

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community, especially the ritual of Seren Taun Guru Bumi, of course, it should
be an expression of gratitude not only for harvest of rice alone, but whenever
possible. However, in traditional societies, it is not easy to remove the belief
in the gods. Therefore, this ritual serves as a prelude to teach gratitude to the
Creator.
The form of harmony between Islam and the pasundan community especially
in the Seren Taun ritual is advised to bring other crops in addition to rice
such as grains, fruits, vegetables, and livestock animals, usually for cattle, it is
already in the form of food or fast food. For fast food, such as vegetables, rice
and side dishes which in the past was buried into the earth or dumped into the
sea, is now used again for food to be cooked and eaten together.
The harmony taught by Islam is for the Sundanese people who still perform
the rituals Seren Taun Guru Bumi, sooner or later to understand the nature of
real gratitude. When we refer to the discussion of Sundanese culture, in fact,
with their ritual of Seren Taun Guru Bumi, the people around the village no
matter the ethnicity or religion, can interact without any social distinction.
As a result of acculturation, the Seren Taun Guru Bumi is a culture that has
two distinct elements, i.e. the Sundanese culture and the overall culture of
Islam. The Sundanese culture as the origin of this ritual in the past was filled
with pagan beliefs, i.e. exaltation of Nyi Pohaci (Dewi Sri) and giving offerings
to her. Islam came and gave color to this ritual in the form gratitude to and
glorification of Allah the Most High. The tomb visit is carried out using the
procedure of pilgrimage in Islam, so is the belief in the water of the Jalatunda
well that comes from Allah. Cow slaughtering is conducted with Islamic law
and the meat distributed to orphans and the poor. No cow head is buried
or dumped into the sea. Mass circumcision, despite using the procedure of
Sundanese culture, it is definitely part of the Islamic law.

CONCLUSION
Seren Taun Guru Bumi is the result of acculturation between Sundanese culture
and Islam. The practice of this ritual in the cultural village of Sindangbarang
is an effort to revive the Sundanese tradition that has long been gone. This
ritual in the past was a form of exaltation of Nyi Pohaci (Dewi Sri) which is
believed to be the goddess of rice in Tatar Sunda (West Java). Currently the
implementation has been colored with Islamic elements, not only symbolically
but also in the belief.
The Islamic elements in the ritual of Seren Taun Guru Bumi can be seen in
this ritual as a form of gratitude to Allah the Most High who has provided us
with sustenance throughout the year. Furthermore, in the procession, it is also

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filled Islamic cultures, for example tomb visit which is done in accordance
with the Islamic procedures, cow slaughtering in which the meat is intended
for orphans and the poor and mass circumcision performed in a series of
rituals.
The Sundanese culture is still visible in the outfit worn, the use of incense
and various Sundanese arts performed. Similarly, the Sundanese symbols also
characterize the course of the ritual from beginning to end which include the
location of the ritual which is held in front of the home of the village elder
located in the cultural village of Sindangbarang Bogor.
As a local ritual, the community and the government should preserve it. As
long as it does not have conflict with the Islamic values, then it is very likely to
be continued. If there is part of the ritual that is contrary to Islamic teachings,
it is the responsibility of the scholars to straighten it. This ritual is expected to
be an asset for Bogor tourist attractions. Hopefully, it will increase the number
of local and foreign tourists to come to the village. There is no doubt that the
role of the local government of Bogor is crucial in preserving the Seren Taun
Guru Bumi ceremony in the cultural village of Sindangbarang, Bogor.

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