Banyumas Youth Revive Babad Pasir Luhur Heritage

RRI.CO.ID, Banyumas - Efforts to preserve Banyumas’s local culture received a major boost as young villagers in Cibun Hamlet recited the historic Babad Pasir Luhur manuscript during the Kenduren Budaya Dukuh Tjiboen cultural event on Monday, August 10, 2026.

Three children chanted the ancient text before an audience of 30 attendees, signaling a renewal for a local tradition that faced extinction following the passing of its primary traditional reciter, Mbah Sikun. Compiled by J. Knebel in 1900, Babad Pasir Luhur stands as one of the oldest recorded manuscripts from Banyumas Regency, Central Java founded in 1571 that is now home to 1.85 million residents across 27 subdistricts and 331 villages.

The revival effort represents a collaboration between community members and academic partners, including Jenderal Soedirman University (Unsoed) Faculty of Humanities lecturer Nisa Roiyasa, who tracked down ancestral Javanese-script manuscripts to train the young reciters.

Local youth from Cibun Hamlet previously showcased their recitations of the Raden Kamandaka tale alongside jemblungan arts at a Central Java provincial festival in Semarang Regency in 2022. To formalize the community-wide pledge to preserve regional heritage, event participants signed the Cibun Inscription (Prasasti Cibun).

Academics, manuscript preservers, and cultural advocates emphasized that grassroots manuscript recitations ensure the continuity of local history for future generations. Nisa reflected on the collective effort required to mentor the youth group. "When I felt exhausted and lost my spirit, support arrived from fellow colleagues and friends," she said in Banyumas on Monday, August 10, 2026.

Banyumas Chronicle Preserver Nasirun Purwokartun highlighted the broader archive work supporting local tradition, having collected around 100 ancient manuscripts since 2014 and translated 25 of them into over 100 titles within the Serial Babad Banyumas series.

Hidora Banyuwangi Association Member Tedjo urged participants to turn cultural discussions into concrete actions. "The most important question is, what will we do after this? Will we remain satisfied with discussions, or do we want to take action?" Tedjo expressed. (Naura Sofia-EN)