LOMBOK – The Serewa Cemetery in Serewa Hamlet, Pejanggik Village, Central Praya District, Central Lombok, dates back to the 16th century when the Balinese kingdom attacked the Pejanggik Kingdom. Now this place is a cultural heritage site recognized by the central government.
Serewa’s grave is located on a hill which has an area of 375 square meters and there are several large frangipani trees around it.
Zaenudin, one of the traditional leaders of Pejanggik Village, said that the tomb of King Pejanggik in Serewa was not the actual tomb of the king, the residents firmly believe where King Pejanggik was buried. But he confirmed that this tomb was only a sign left by the king at that time.
“If you say it’s the king’s tomb, isn’t it. It turns out that it’s just a sign,” explained the man who is also a member of the archipelago’s indigenous peoples alliance to Koranlombok.id journalists, last Sunday
He said the meaning of the word Serewa comes from the ancient Jawi language from the meaning of the word ‘sere’ which means ‘julaq’ or spit while ‘ewa’ means place.
He explained, the two meanings of the word were also drawn through historical stories when the Balinese Karangasem troops under the rule of Anak Agung Gde Ngurah together with Arya Banjar Getas tried to capture the King of Pejanggik, miraculously when they were about to be ambushed the king disappeared and left behind a spit-filled place.
“Being besieged at Montong Pegolak, where Serewa’s grave is now, at that time, it was just a hill. When the king was ambushed, he was missing, what was found was only spit and even still warm, so the place was named Serewa,” he explained
He said, one of the traditions of Pejanggik community which is carried out at the Serewa Cemetery is the timbung war which is carried out every Friday in the fourth month according to the Sasak calendar.
“As a sign, it is also when the flowers bloom with those in Serewa’s tomb,” said the humanist.
While Timbung itself is a food made from sticky rice and coconut milk that is burned in bamboo or what is called lemang in other areas.
zaenudin said that the timbung war began with a story of a bad dream the king had which was interpreted by the ‘Lebe’ or religious experts as a sign that a bad event would happen in Pejanggik.
“At that time the king’s dream was interpreted as a riot, so it was suggested to carry out a sacrifice which was symbolized by the timbung,” he explained.
Behind that, the timbung war in 2016 has received a certificate from the Ministry of Tourism as the preservation of Central Lombok culture along with the culture of smelling nyale or catching sea worms. (s/nis)
