UIN Public Relations – This article aims to reawaken the public’s memory of the dangers of the Krakatoa eruption. The 1883 Krakatoa eruption tragedy is recorded to have claimed 36,147 lives. This was an enormous number, given that the population at that time was not as dense as it is today.
Mount Krakatau, as shown on a map created by H.J.G. Gerzenaar in 1883, is located within the largest island group, which was formerly known by the local people as Rakata Island.
Mount Krakatau erupted violently on Saturday, August 25, 1883, coinciding with the circumcision ceremony of Hassan, the son of R. Natanegara, the regent’s youngest brother. The festive celebration was attended by relatives, officials, and civil servants; and, interestingly, farmers also contributed to the success of this lively celebration.
The strains of the munggang gamelan welcomed distinguished guests who arrived well into the night. They included the regents’ families from Lebak, Serang, Tangerang, Jasinga, Bogor, and Cianjur. The Dutch governor of Serang also attended the celebration. Even on Sunday, August 26, many guests were still arriving, particularly relatives of the regents and Dutch officials.
At the time, many people believed that the regent’s family’s festive celebration was linked to the eruption of Krakatoa. On that Sunday afternoon, the volcano—located in the Sunda Strait—erupted with a deafening roar, and a tsunami crashed onto the coast. The festive atmosphere vanished. The bride and groom, little Hasan, relatives, and the guests in attendance were killed. No one survived.
According to local beliefs, as mentioned in the kakawihan, holding a wedding celebration and a circumcision ceremony at the same time is a practice that violates customary laws. Therefore, a labuhan ritual must be performed to purify the situation.
The officials under the regent’s authority were aware of this violation of customary law. Several district chiefs and assistant district chiefs traveled to Caringin to perform the “seba.” A report by Haji Abdul, the head of the Panimbang district, identified the officials who performed the “seba” in Banten as the district chief of Panimbang, three assistant district chiefs from the Panimbang district, the assistant district chief of Carita, and one official from Cibaliung.
Haji Abdul himself survived the disaster because he was visiting the interior at the time. The officials who were on the tour were swept away by the massive waves that struck the Banten coastline (Abdurachman, 1983).
Religious scholars in Banten also linked the Krakatau eruption to the feast mentioned above. The entertainment held at the regent’s residence—such as tayuban and other activities—was deemed inconsistent with the teachings of Islam, thereby provoking God’s wrath. Consequently, God sent a punishment down to earth as a result of the rulers’ behavior (Lapian, 1983).
To commemorate the event and seek protection from God Almighty, the people of Banten once held an annual ritual. It was called the “Kalembak Haul Disaster Ritual,” held to commemorate the eruption of Mount Krakatoa in 1883.
Etymologically, “kalembak’ is derived from two syllables in the Javanese language: “kelem,’ meaning “to sink,” and “bak,” short for “ombak” (wave). Thus, “kalembak” means “to sink because of a wave” (Purnomosidi, 2000).
The Kalembak Haul ceremony was originally organized by the extended family of K.H. Asnawi Caringin at the Salafiah Mosque in Caringin. This mosque is an ancient mosque that was rebuilt after suffering damage from the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa (Putra, 2019).
In addition, the community also helps organize the Kalembak Haul ceremony, which takes place from August through November, coinciding with the season when strong westerly winds blow.
The Kalembek ceremony begins by seeking advice from the “Juru Baya’,” who is believed to possess secret knowledge of the oceans. Once the date for the Kalembek ceremony has been set, the community prepares the ritual offerings, including traditional foods that are served.
“Jejongkong’ and “jejorong” are traditional pastries served during the Kalembak ceremony. Jejongkong is made from cassava and filled with palm sugar, symbolizing the magma of Mount Krakatau. Meanwhile, jejorong is a dish wrapped in banana leaves and shaped to resemble a mountain.
This ceremony was an annual event for the people of Banten that took place until the late 1990s. However, after community leaders deemed it to have strayed from the spirit of the ceremony—as it had come to emphasize entertainment, such as dangdut performances—the event was discontinued and has not been held since.
Community leaders still believe that Krakatoa erupted because of a celebration that violated local customs, so what is the point of holding the Kalembak (?) ceremony if it is presented as a wild party and runs counter to local customs?.
This message is still relevant today, especially as we worry about the impact of the ash from the ongoing eruption of Anak Krakatau. May Allah SWT protect us all. Amen.
Prof. Dr. H. Muhammad Ishom, M.A. (Rector of UIN Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin Banten)
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