Sedekah Dawet: A Tradition to Summon the Rain in Paron Village, Kediri

TIMESINDONESIA, KEDIRI – In the quest for rain, the farmers of Paron Village in the Ngasem Subdistrict of Kediri Regency, East Java, have a unique tradition known as "sedekah dawet". This ritual took place in Sumber Kembangan Paron on Monday, (6/11/2023).

Upon this sacred land, several earthenware containers, carrying a jar of dawet, are paraded from one of the villagers' houses to Sumber Kembangan Paron. Dawet is traditional sweet drink typically made from a mixture of rice flour and coconut milk, flavored with pandan leaves, and sweetened with palm sugar syrup.

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By the time they arrive at the source, the farmers, along with the Head of the Village and Field Facilitators, gather in prayer, expressing their hopes for rain. This is a form of effort to ensure that rain comes soon.

"There were complaints from the farmers about difficulties due to water scarcity, which is why we organized this sedekah dawet," explained Ahmad Toyib, the Chairman of Gapoktan Tani Makmur in Paron Village.

Following the collective prayer, some of the dawet is distributed among the farmers and the local community. The rest is poured onto the Klantung's body, who are the caretakers of the water channels.

This is not a random gesture, the Klantung maintain water channels, ensuring their smooth flow from the upstream to the downstream every day. "As the saying goes, when the Klantung is wet due to the pouring of dawet, rain will soon follow," he further explains.

Then, the remaining dawet in the earthenware containers is emptied entirely into the source by the farmers. "May rain fall soon and bring blessings. If rain arrives promptly, it will help the farmers reduce their agricultural costs," he adds.

This tradition, as explained by Buyung Wicaksono, the Head of Paron Village, is performed during prolonged droughts. The last time this tradition was carried out was in 2019, when an extended dry season occurred without rain.

The recent prolonged dry season lasting for several months has indeed caused hardships for the local farmers. To ensure their fields are irrigated, the farmers in Kediri, including those in Paron Village, have had to incur additional expenses by renting water pumps.

Farmers have no choice but to rent these pumps, costing around IDR 40,000 to IDR 50,000 per hour. Irrigating the fields takes at least 3 to 4 hours, making the expenses exceed IDR 100,000. Paron Village is home to around 300 farmers who work on both rice and horticultural lands daily.

"The hope is for the rain to arrive soon, and secondly, as this ritual is conducted in Sumber Kembangan, we also wish for the continuous abundance of water in the source," concludes Buyung Wicaksono, emphasizing the significance of sedekah dawet during times of drought in their farming community. (*)

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