1,000 Durian "Mountain" Headlines Village Gratitude Ceremony in Pasuruan

RRI.CO.ID, Pasuruan - The residents of Kronto Village in the Lumbang District of Pasuruan, East Java, celebrated the peak of their annual village gratitude ceremony (Selamatan Desa) on Sunday, April 5, 2026. The highlight of the event featured a massive "Gunungan Durian", a mountain-shaped offering composed of 1,000 durian fruits, displayed at the Kronto Village Hall.

While the spectacle was impressive, village officials noted that the number of fruits was significantly lower than the previous year’s offering of 5,000 durians. This decline was attributed to a challenging harvest season marked by tree diseases and heavy rainfall, which caused many fruits to fall prematurely or fail to develop.

The Selamatan Desa is a long-standing annual tradition intentionally timed to coincide with the local durian harvest. The 2026 celebration was held over two consecutive days, beginning with a first day focused on spiritual reflection that included a collective reading of the Al-Qur'an (Khataman) followed by communal prayers and tahlil.

The festivities concluded on the second day, which served as a grand thanksgiving (tasyakuran) and culminated in the highly anticipated parade and distribution of the durian mountain.

Typically held during the month of Ruwah (before Ramadan), this year’s event was postponed until after Idul Fitri 1447 Hijriah due to the tight harvest schedule.

"Usually it's held in Ruwah... but because time was tight, it was postponed until now," explained Kronto Village Head, Sodin, on Monday, April 6, 2026, as quoted by Infopublik.id.

The celebration also showcased the spirit of gotong royong (cooperation) among the villagers. Each neighborhood unit (RT) in Kronto Village prepared and displayed an ancak, a traditional tray filled with local agricultural produce. A total of 22 ancak were paraded around the village before being shared among the residents.

"Every RT brings one ancak. The contents are free, as long as it is produce from Lumbang or characteristic of Pasuruan Regency," Sodin added.

The Regent of Pasuruan, Rusdi Sutejo, attended the festivities and praised the Kronto Village Administration for their consistency in preserving local traditions. He expressed his hope that the ceremony would lead to a more prosperous and peaceful community (baldatun toyyibatun wa robbun ghofur).

“The hope is... that the plants become more fertile and the fruit more abundant so that next year can be even more festive,” the Regent remarked.

By maintaining this annual ritual, Kronto Village continues to solidify its reputation as a key producer of durian while strengthening the social bonds and cultural identity of its people. ***