ARUH GANAL, THE DAYAK’S THANKSGIVING - The Struggle For Existence in Modernization -

A bamboo altar decorated with sets of young coconut leaves stood upright in the center of Cempaka house in Kawamakan village. Six families who live together in the wooden house held a thanksgiving ceremony. For the Dayak people, who live in Meratus mountains in South Kalimantan and devote to Kaharingan belief, celebrating Aruh Ganal is spiritually important as their gratitude to gods after the harvest.

“We never consume our crops before we make offerings to gods. It’s taboo,” said Demang Udes, the cultural and religious leader of the Cempaka house.

As evening fell, the guests arrived from the neighborhood. The rain and muddy road didn’t prevent them from coming. The men, women and youth came with their groups. The women guests helped the host to prepare the dinner for the ceremony. Meanwhile, some of the men assisted Demang Udes to prepare the offering at the altar. Outside the house, the youth swap songs and pictures from their cellular phones. It was striking and disturbing phenomenon in the peak of mountains where transmission was not available.

After dinner, the ceremony began. Demang Udes sat with crossed legs, facing the offerings at the altar and reciting the sacred mantra. His wife played a Dayak percussion. The aura became more mystical as the rhythm became serene. The men took turns walking around the altar while reciting the mantra until the dawn breaks.

Unfortunately, the youth didn’t really follow the rites. They gathered at one corner of the room, chatted or played game boy. “I’d rather stay at home watching TV but my parent made me go. I don’t understand the rites but my father said this is important,” said 16 years old girl named Manda. She chatted with her friends during the ceremony.

The cultural gap between the elder and youth became common in Indonesia since the television sat in every family’s living room, even when a narrow trail was the only way up to the mountain. The youth idolized the soap opera artists and hang their idols posters on the wall. The tradition is in threat.

The cultural leaders have been concerned with the youth who’s getting less interested in cultural and religious tradition. Modernization is one of the reasons that diminish the spirituality. Furthermore, Kaharingan follower became lesser since some Dayaks converted to Islam or Christianity. However, the converted Dayaks still came to the ceremony to respect culture and show tolerance.

A ray of sunlight on the horizon marked the time to end the Aruh Ganal ceremony. But hopefully it will not be the last ceremony. As the modernization penetrates villages on the Meratus mountains, the Dayaks continue to preserve their tradition.

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Mukhtar (40) lost one of his leg due to the Tsunami, december 26th 2004. He stayed in a barrack for victims of tsunami in Lhoknga, Aceh Besar and lost everything that he had before tsunami. Including house and family.

Before the tsunami, he worked as truck driver. He lost the truck and sadly, one of his leg. “i can’t drive truck anymore, so i had to find another thing to do” said Mukhtar. Couple months after the catastrophe, one of his friend who works as electrician offered him to learn electrical skills and he took the chance, since then he has been working with the friend in a small workshop.

“I’m enjoying this job and it is good to keep myself and my mind busy, so i don’t have to think about tsunami and my family too often . Although, sometimes i miss my wife and my son, but i have to move on” said Mukhtar.

A humanitarian organization gave some money to Mukhtar and he bought a Becak (tricycle equipped with engine). “I’m using this becak for my transport and also to deliver electronic stuffs that we have fixed to our costumers home” explained Mukhtar. For the last months he stays in a house built by an NGO (Non-Governmental Organization).

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