Coming to Ritual Tabot at Bengkulu

         Tabot celebration was originally taken and developed by the people of India origin Siphoy that came with the arrival of British troops to Bengkulu in 1685. They came to Bengkulu from Madras-Bengali southern India, along the British nation during its occupation in Bengkulu. One of the newcomers is a Shiite cleric named Sheikh Burhanuddin later better known by the name of Imam Senggolo. As previously described, the name "Ark" is derived from the Arabic word that is the Ark, which literally means Wooden Box or crate. It is said that according to the belief of the Children of Israel at the time that when the Ark is emerging and are in the hands of their leaders, be good to them. On the contrary when the Ark is lost it will be able to bring malapeta for them.



         Because of this ceremony is long enough to grow and thrive in some communities in the city of Bengkulu, then finally seen as a traditional ceremony Bengkulu. Both from the people and by the whole community Sippai Malay Bengkulu. Thus the ceremony be Tabot as Malay traditional ceremony of Bengkulu.



         In Bengkulu alone, the Tabot ceremony is a ceremony today mourning the death of the Great Syaid Husien bin Ali bin Abi Talib, a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. The essence of the ceremony was recalled efforts and the efforts of Shiite leader and his people, who attempt to collect the parts of the bodies Husien. After all the parts of his body and then paraded collected and buried in Karbala Padang. The whole ceremony lasted for 10 days, from 01 to 10 Muharram. The stages of the Tabot ceremony are as follows: Taking the Land, Sitting Penja, Meradai, chopping, Penja Arak, Arak Serban, Gam (quiet period / mourning) and Arak Gedang and Tabot wasted.

The Tabot Ritual Procession

1. Mengambil Tanah ( 1 Muharam at 22:00 WIB)
         The land that was taken at this stage must come from a shrine containing magical element.



2. Duduk Penja ( 5 Muharam at 16:00 WIB)
Penja are objects made of brass, silver, or copper in the form of human hands, complete with his fingers. Penja is regarded as a sacred object that contains elements of magic, should be washed with lime water annually.



3. Meradai ( 6 Muharam at 07:00-17:00  WIB)
         Collecting funds by Jola (the person in charge of obtaining funds for community activities, usually composed of children aged 10-12 years).



4. Manjara ( 6-7 Muharam at 20:00 – 23:00 WIB)
         an event visit or go to another group to beruji or compete dal (kind of musical instrument drum, made of wood with a hole in the middle, and covered with cowhide).



5. Arak Penja (8 Muharam at 19: 00-21: 00 pm)
         In this event, each group Tabot will send his team of about 10-15 people, mostly composed of children and adolescents by taking a predetermined route along the main streets in the city of Bengkulu.



6. Arak Serban (9 Muharam at 19: 00-21: 00 pm)
         Objects are paraded besides penja, there is also Serban / white turban is put on Tabot Coki (Small Tabot), equipped with flags / pennants white and green or blue that reads "Hassan and Hussein" with beautiful calligraphy.



7. Gam
         Gam itself comes from the word "ghum" which means closed or blocked. A predetermined time during which the all activities relating to the ceremony Tabot don'ts including hiding Dol and Tassa. So Gam period can also be called quiet period.



8. Arak Gedang (9 Muharam or night the 10th of Muharram)
         Beginning with the release Tabot ritual biting Gerga respectively. Subsequently forwarded to the Arak Gedang, the Tabot group move from their respective headquarters in groups to take the route that has been determined. On the main streets all meet to form Arak Tabot Gedang (Parade Akbar) to the main field.



9. Tabot Terbuang
         Tabot-tabot juxtaposed followed by each personnel group tabot. At around 10:00 pm the procession Tabot released by the Governor of Bengkulu's leading public funeral complex Karabela. This place became a ritual event location tabot wasted because there is buried Imam Senggolo (Sheikh Burhanuddin) pioneer Tabot ceremony in Bengkulu. With the end of Tabot wasted it ended all the procession rituals Tabot.



         Tabot ceremony in Bengkulu contain aspects of ritual and non ritual. Ritual aspects should only be done by family descendants Tabot led by elders direct descendants, and has special provisions and norms to be followed by them. While the events that contain non-ritual aspects can be followed by anyone.

Pictures:

         Tabot which continues to grow from year to year in the long run it is increasingly left tabot meaning of the ceremony itself. Tabot is now more to the festival and Tabot itself made a tourist attraction in Bengkulu.