Dieng Culture Fest 2026 Holds Sacred Hair Dreadlock Cutting Ceremony
- 28 Agt 2026 22:21 WIB
- Voice of Indonesia
Poin Utama
- A total of 13 anak bajang, or children with naturally occurring matted hair, will undergo the Ruwatan Rambut Gimbal ceremony during the 2026 Dieng Culture Festival (DCF).
- DCF 2026 will take place at the Arjuna Temple Complex in Dieng, Banjarnegara, Central Java, from August 28–30, 2026.
RRI.CO.ID, Banjarnegara - A total of 13 anak bajang, or children with naturally occurring matted hair, will undergo the Ruwatan Rambut Gimbal, or dreadlock hair cutting ritual, as part of the 2026 Dieng Culture Festival (DCF) at the Arjuna Temple Complex in Dieng, Banjarnegara Regency, Central Java, from August 28 to 30, 2026. The ruwatan ritual for matted hair is a distinctive Dieng cultural heritage tradition that local communities continue to preserve.
For Dieng residents, naturally occurring matted hair that grows on certain children cannot be cut arbitrarily. Before the hair-cutting ceremony can take place, the child must first make a request that must be fulfilled.
The tradition is an important part of DCF 2026, which carries the theme Spirit of Harmony. The cultural procession and the ruwatan ceremony for children with matted hair are among the most anticipated programs of the annual festival.
Chairperson of the Pandawa Tourism Awareness Group (Pokdarwis) and Chief Organizer of DCF 2026, Alif Faozi, said 13 children with matted hair from Banjarnegara, Wonosobo, and surrounding areas will take part in the sacred ritual this year.
“Their requests vary, ranging from goats, electric bicycles, ayam kalasan, food, to mobile phones,” said Alif at the DCF media center on Friday, August 28, 2026.
He said that after the child’s request has been fulfilled, the hair-cutting ritual is conducted as a symbol of releasing the child’s matted hair. “According to our community’s belief, the matted hair grows as a trust entrusted by Dieng ancestor Kaladete, so it must be returned through customary procedures,” he added.
The 13 Dieng children with matted hair have made different requests. One of them is Malayeka Rafana Arabella, an eight-year-old girl from Bandingan Village in Sigaluh Subdistrict, Banjarnegara, who asked for a pink electric bicycle.
Sainem, Malayeka’s mother, said her daughter’s matted hair began growing when she was about three months old. Now in the second grade of elementary school, Malayeka has never had her hair cut.
After waiting for years, Malayeka will finally undergo the hair-cutting ritual alongside 12 other anak bajang during DCF 2026. “A pink electric bicycle, with a basket at the front,” said Sainem, describing her daughter’s request.
According to Sainem, Malayeka’s requests have changed as she has grown older. When she was younger, her daughter had asked for simple food and drinks.
“When she was little, she once asked for Yakult. As she gets older, her requests get bigger too,” she said.
Besides Malayeka, the other children who will take part in the ruwatan ritual include Anindie Cheryl Shaheenna and Andien Checilia Shaquilla from Mlandi Village in Wonosobo; both requested two young goats, one male and one female. (Annaila Azzahra-EN)
News Recomendation
Memuat berita terbaru.....