Tengger tribes are people who lived in Bromo Mountain and their religion majority is Hindu Mahayana. That’s what makes them different from Hindu in Bali (Hindu Dharma). Other things makes them a little bit different is their burial method. Because Tenggerese lives in Java, so they have affected from Javanese cultures that all dead people must be buried, while in Bali for dead people, they burn them down with ceremony called Ngaben.
Based on the legend, Tengger name came from a leader of a people who lived in Bromo. They are a couple of married but don’t have kids. They are Joko Seger and Roro Anteng. So the name Tengger is abbreviation from their names. Teng is comes from Roro Anteng and Ger comes from Joko Seger. Until today, some people still believed that they are descendant from those couple.
Tengger people somehow have unique characteristics, those are:
- Their physic characteristic are have bright brown eyes, with dark skin and somehow similar to Mongolian people despite of their skin color.
- They wear normal clothes like Javanese people usually wear, except the wear sarung and it used to replace jacket to ward off cold.
- Other than sarung, Tengger people always wear kupluk or mountain hat.
- Tengger people have their own language that different from regular Javanese language. They believed it is an old language used during Majapahit Era.
- Majority Tengger people working as farmer and raising animal. Land nearby Bromo is good for vegetables and it becomes their main objective to grow it, like cabbage, potato, and onion.
- Other profession they have are becomes local guide that can take visitor to walk and look around Bromo area as well as rent the horse to take you to the top of Bromo Crater.
People of Bromo have a special ceremony that called Kasada ceremony. The story of Kasada Ceremony also related to the Legend of Roro Anteng and Joko Seger. In the legend said that the couple have been married for long time, but they didn’t have any kids. So they pray in the top of Bromo Mountain. God who resides there heard their prayer and willing to give them child until they have 25 child, but with one condition. The 25th child must be sacrificed. Soon after they have exactly like what their God said. They have 25 child. But promise is just promise. God demand them to remember their promise to sacrifice their last child who was named Raden Dian Kusuma. But they refuse it and try to hide Dian Kusuma somewhere safe so God cannot take him. Coincidentally, Dian Kusuma is their most beloved child. Soon after it, God becomes very angry and Bromo mountain erupted so greatly until it destroy everything. And Dian Kusuma who finally know about the story agree to sacrefice himself. He jumped into the crater and the eruption was stopped. But before jumping, Dian Kusuma give message to all Tenggerese people to follow his footstep by offer something to the God to follow the tradition. Until today, the costum is still exist and called Kasada Ceremony.
This ceremony annually held in 14-15′th day of 10th month based on Javanese Calendar (August-September for global Calendar). They start by praying in the Poten Temple in the middle of the night and start climbing the crater and throw their offerings in the morning. Kasada itself means 10th.
