“Are You Familiar with The Puputan Tradition?

Various communities across Cirebon practice the puputan tradition, each adding their own unique variations to the ritual. In Karangdawa Timur Village, puputan refers to a ritual performed when a newborn’s umbilical cord (ari-ari) naturally falls off, usually within 4 to 7 days after birth.

Javanese speakers use “puput,” meaning “to end,” to form “puputan,” marking the baby’s full arrival. The ritual thanks Allah SWT for mother and child’s safety and prays for the baby’s well-being and protection.

For the village elders, puputan was once a sacred and carefully observed tradition. This writing outlines its ceremonial stages based on the accounts of former midwives and ritual leaders in Karangdawa Timur.

Preparation for the Burial of the Umbilical Cord (Ari-ari)

As previously explained, families perform the puputan ritual when a baby’s umbilical cord (ari-ari) naturally detaches. They then bury the cord as part of a traditional ceremony. The first step after the cord detaches is to wash it thoroughly until it is completely clean. Next, the family wraps the cord in a piece of white cloth or a small piece of jarik (traditional batik cloth), and then places it inside a kendi (a clay pot).

Offerings materials

After placing the umbilical cord in the kendi and readying it for burial, the family prepares and places offerings on the burial site. The following are the materials used for the offerings:

1. Seven kinds of flowers (bunga tujuh rupa)
2. Red rice porridge (bubur merah)
3. White rice porridge (bubur putih)
4. Uncooked rice
5. One whole coconut
6. Traditional market snacks ( such as cikak, apem, banana, mashed banana, pointed mashed banana, and rengginang)
7. A variety of drinks (such as sweet coffe, bitter coffe, sweet tea, bitter tea, plain water, basil seed water, infused water with Raja bananas)
8. A kendi filled with water, with one chicken egg placed on top
9. Incense and kemenyan (traditional aromatic resin)

The family neatly arranges all of these offerings on a tampah (a round bamboo tray) before the burial ceremony takes place.

The Ritual of Umbilical Cord (Ari-ari) Burial

The burial of the umbilical cord (ari-ari) is an important part of the puputan ceremony. The steps carried out during this ritual are as follows:

1. Carrying the Clay Pot Containing the Umbilical Cord
   The baby’s father carries the clay pot (kendi) containing the umbilical cord, which he has previously wrapped in white cloth. He slings the pot using a samping (traditional cloth) and holds an umbrella to shield it from direct sunlight.
2. Carrying the Offerings
   The traditional birth attendant (dukun bayi) or a respected elder who leads the ritual carries the prepared offerings.
3. Procession to the Burial Site
   The baby’s father, the birth attendant or elder, and family or community members go together to the burial site, usually in front of the house or under a sacred tree.
4. Burial and Prayer
   after burying the umbilical cord, the family places the offerings on the burial ground. The ritual concludes with the birth attendant leading a special prayer as a closing part of the ceremony.

The Saweran (Curak) Process

After the umbilical cord burial ritual is completed, the ceremony continues with the saweran ritual, also known as curak. In this tradition, the materials used for saweran typically include small coins (500 and 1,000 rupiah), flowers, rice, turmeric, and candies. However, the contents may vary depending on each family’s customs and traditions.

After preparing the materials, the mother carries the baby to the front of the house for the saweran ritual. The traditional birth attendant places saweran money around the baby’s neck, announces the baby’s name, and recites prayers for blessing and protection.

The Bancakan Food-Sharing Process

After completing the saweran ritual, the parents continue the event by distributing bancakan, symbolizing their joy and gratitude for the birth of their child. Bancakan refers to traditional food prepared and shared with neighbors or relatives as an expression of thankfulness.

The typical bancakan menu includes rice, urap (mixed vegetables with spiced grated coconut), salted fish, as well as tempeh and tofu. They serve the food in containers made of banana leaves, shaped like small trays (takiran). They place a small paper with the baby’s name on the rice as an identifier and blessing. Side dishes in bancakan may vary by local tradition.

The Changes in Today’s Era

The puputan tradition consists of a series of rituals that were once carried out in a sacred and meaningful manner by elders and people of earlier generations. However, as time passes and societal mindsets change, only a few families who firmly uphold ancestral customs continue to observe this tradition.

Today, many families still practice the puputan tradition, but in a simpler form. Most families only perform selected stages of the ritual, such as the burial of the umbilical cord using a clay pot filled with water and topped with an egg, without the complete set of offerings that were customary in the past. The family then follows the ritual with the saweran ceremony and the sharing of bancakan.

Several factors drive this change. First, many of the elders or traditional birth attendants who once oversaw the ceremony in villages have died, leaving a far smaller number. Second, many modern parents no longer fully believe in such traditional practices. Many families now perform the ritual symbolically, focusing only on saweran and bancakan as a simple gratitude.

By: Livani Tri Ramandani