Pisungsung Jaladri: A Living Legacy of Coastal Gratitude

TheIndonesia.co - Bantul Deputy Regent Aris Suharyanta said the Pisungsung Jaladri tradition—an annual village purification ceremony held by the Mancingan community in Parangtritis, Bantul Regency—is a valuable part of Yogyakarta’s cultural heritage.

“Pisungsung Jaladri is more than a ritual; it holds deep meaning and reflects the rich cultural wealth of Yogyakarta,” said Suharyanta during the ceremony at Joglo Parangtritis on Tuesday, according to Antara News Agency.

Recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage since 1989, Pisungsung Jaladri expresses the coastal community’s gratitude to God Almighty for the blessings of land and sea harvests.

“As people of Bantul, we should be proud of this noble tradition passed down by our ancestors. It reminds us of the importance of harmony between humans and nature,” he added.

Suharyanta also emphasized that the tradition reflects the religious values of Bantul's people, who entrust all matters to the divine.

“This cultural heritage survives because of the community’s collective awareness and responsibility to preserve it,” he said.

Kanjeng Pangeran Haryo (KPH) Yudanegara, Head of the Yogyakarta Office of Community Empowerment, Village, Population, and Civil Registration, echoed this sentiment. He described the tradition as part of the spirit that defines the special status of Yogyakarta.

“It’s our duty to protect the harmony between humans, nature, and the Creator. This is a culture that not only survives, but also nourishes and guides us. Let us continue to preserve it,” he said.

The Bekti Pertiwi Pisungsung Jaladri ceremony gathered hundreds of people dressed in traditional Javanese attire at the Parangtritis Tourism Joglo. Together, they paraded ritual offerings (ubo rampe) to Cepuri Parangkusumo.

At Cepuri Parangkusumo, the offerings were blessed by royal court servants of the Yogyakarta Palace. The ceremony concluded with the symbolic release of the offerings into the sea at Parangkusumo Beach.