Kirab Kyai Bendhe, Nasi Tedun, and Endog Wewe

Kirab Kyai Bendhe, Nasi Tedun, and Endog Wewe

Kirab Bendhe is a tradition of the village that is held once a year in the Wage Thursday in Rajab. Bendhe itself was a musical instrument hit, a kind of small gong. Before being shown in a procession, bendhe “dijamas” or cleaned with water from nine “sendang” (springs) located in the village of Nongkosawit. The cleansing ritual sometimes invite an expert on heirloom Tosan Aji expert, such as from Parikesit.

After the bendhe washed, the community conducted Trabas procession and pray together in the village cemetery. Sometimes the festival is also held together with the tree festivals. Each of the Rukun Tetangga, village youths, and school students in the village preparing some attractions to be included in the procession. Bendhe and other heirlooms are then shown around the village followed by various art artifacts such as Jaran Eblek, Warag Ngendog, Segolo-Golo, and Gunungan in the form of agricultural produces. Jaran Eblek has been long played by the residents, together with Barongan. The residents make the mask themselves. Meanwhile, Segolo-Golo is a Barongsai with cow-shaped. It was ridden by a village boy who get the higher accomplishment in his school. Segolo-Golo is a manifestation of appreciation for hard work and diligence. Cow-shaped is based on the daily economy of the residents from dairy cows.

To attract the children and the village youth, they also make replicas of cartoons characters, robots, and helicopters. The procession is usually preceded by the village’s elders by spreading yellow rice as a form of gratitude and welfare. Accompanied by Javanese Gending, heirlooms were shown and became attractions for the residents. Gunungan is a symbol of blessing from God and the residents scrambled take goods of the Gunungan at the end of the event.

Currently the Bendhe is placed in Mr. Warsono’s house. He is the chairman of the Pokdarwis (Kelompok Sadar Wisata = Tourism Awareness Group) and also the chief of RW 1 Nongkosari. The Bendhe are kept on carved wooden box. In the past, Bendhe was kept at the house of Lurah (chief) of Nongkosawit, and used to invite the residents to daily prayer, communal gathering, and pray together asking for the coming of rain. Until now, the public believes that there is a connection within the Bendhe carnival because it often used to gather the residents to pray together for asking the coming of rain.

According to Warsono, Bendhe that showed in the event is not just a regular bendhe because it is the inheritance of Sheikh Hasan Munadi which is believed to be a figure of spreading Islam around Gunungpati and Ungaran. Together with Soko Wali Mosque and wooden Beduk Sido Gori, Bendhe is the third remains of Hasan Munadi that is still taken care by the residents.

Besides the value-rich of the ritual, Nongkosawit also has culinary offerings such as Nasi Tedun. Rice is rare except for special occasions in Nongkosawit. It consists of white rice that as side dish, Tempe Bacem (sweetened soybean cake) and Sambal Godok (boiled chili sauce) made from grated coconut. There is also Endog Wewe, usually presented in the seventh month ritual or “midak lemah” (Javanese: ground stepping) or “Tedak Siten”, which is a ritual when the baby is 7-8 months old and began to learn to walk. The ingredients of the sticky rice flour with palm sugar in the core. Endog Wewe is actually similar to Klepon, but Klepon has green color with grated coconut on the outside. Endog Wewe has white color and as big as a chicken egg and eaten with a sweet gravy. The gravy of the Endok Wewe is usually made from durian, jackfruit, or pandan.