Cembengan Ceremony

A. Overview

Annually, coming close to grinding time, Madukismo Sugar Mill conducts a ceremony of sugar cane breeding. Such a tradition has been carried out for decades since the establishment of the mill back in 1955. Subsequently, the mill was made official by ex-President Sukarno in 1958.

Upacara Kirab Manten Tebu, also known as Cembengan Ceremony, is a ritual to ask for welfare and good production of sugar. Over the years, the ceremony has turned to a folk party; no longer has it belonged only to the laborers and the sugar cane farmers. The ceremony becomes more attractive after it includes arts performance and carnival.

Cembengan Ceremony was originally called Cing Bing, a tradition practiced by local Chinese people called. Cing Bing was a custom of the Chinese to visit their ancestors’ resting places before making a great work. The custom used to be conducted by the local Chinese who worked at Madukismo Sugar Mill. Afterwards, not only did the Chinese hold the ceremony, but also the natives took part in it. The natives called such a custom Cing Bing-an, later known as Cembengan for Cing Bing-an is difficult to pronounce by the Javanese.

B. Features

Some attractions appear in Cembengan Ceremony. Not only are the traditional and modern arts performances interesting, but also are the rites of Kirab Manten Tebu itself. It is obviously fascinating for the ceremony alone is a breeding or marriage between male and female sugar canes.

Before the marriage is held, the sugar canes couples are carried around the complex of Madukismo Sugar Mill. The sugar canes are also named agreeing with their respective genders. The names are different from year to year, depending on the day of the ceremony. For example, if the names are Kyai Tumpak and Nyai Pon, it means that the matrimony is held on Pon, a day in the Javanese calendar. Kyai Tumpak represents the male sugar cane, while Nyai Pon is a symbol of the female one.

According to some sources, naming and marrying couples of sugar canes symbolizes the expectation that the company and the workers will make a good teamwork.

There are nine pairs of sugar canes to be married. Each one is four meter long. Every couple is tied based on their kinds. The male-symbolizing ones are black, whereas the female-symbolizing ones are yellow. Every kind comes from different orchards.

Those bridal couples are carried around by a horse carriage. The carnival takes about one to three kilometers far. The front lines are usually the marching bands of several schools around Madukismo Sugar Mill, the traditional art groups such as kuda lumping, and the legion of Kraton Yogyakarta. Four figures of wayang—Semar, Petruk, Bagong, and Gareng—escort the carriage at the right and left sides. The back lines are some chosen sugar cane farmers and employees. Before arriving at the location of the grinding, the couples of sugar canes are married in the mosque of the mill.

As soon as the farmers hand the sugar canes couples over the officials, the next ritual is a collective praying to ask for welfare. A bridal couple then is put on the grinding machine. They are the first couple to be ground. Next to the machine, various offerings are scattered here and there in lines. The offerings include two heads of cows to be buried close to the machine, tumpeng, ingkung, and fruits of 40 varieties. The number of the fruits represents the number of the work units at Madukismo Sugar Mill.

Apart from the sugar cane marriage, Cembengen Ceremony also performs various kinds of arts. There are leather puppet show, band festival, ketoprak performance, music performance, and carnival.

C. Location

The ceremony is conducted at the complex of Madukismo Sugar Mill that is located in Padokan Village, Tirto Nirmolo Sub-district, Kasihan District, Bantul Regency. It is roughly 4 km away to the southwest of Yogyakarta City.

D. Access

The tourists who would like to watch the procession of Cembengan Ceremony may visit the Sugar Mill of Madukismo. The location is easy to reach either by private or public transportation, by motorcycle or by car. If you would like to get there by public transportation, you can start from Tugu Station and take Trans-Jogja bus route 1A. At the halt of Adisucipto Airport, you must change buses for route 3B which heads for Giwangan Bus Station. Those who start from Adisucipto Airport may directly take the bus route 3B to Giwangan Bus Station. The bus costs Rp 3,000. Then, from the bus station to the location, you must take the bus that heads for Parangtritis.

E. Ticket

To watch the rites of Cembengan Ceremony, there is no admission charge.

F. Accommodations and Other Facilities

The series of the rites include some entertainments and folk arts. Besides, the organizer of the ceremony serves you with food, leather puppet show, and carnival as well.

Text: Mujibur Rohman
Photos: Collection of Jogjatrip.com
Translation: Al-Amri Arif Sandy
(Primary data and various sources)

If you are from outside Yogyakarta and want to visit this place by travel agency services,
please contact:

Maharatu Tour and Travel

Jl. Sisingamangaraja No. 27 Yogyakarta.
Telp. +62 274 8373005. Fax. +62 274 379250
Email : maharatu@maharatu.com -maharatu257@yahoo.com
Website : www.maharatu.com

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