Perjalanan Spiritual Akhir Juni: Dari Tilem di Prambanan sampai Melukat di Ngobaran
Rasanya baru kemarin nulis postingan terakhir (November 2024!!!), tapi tahu-tahu sudah Juli 2025. Setengah tahun berlalu begitu saja…hidup memang begitu ya, kadang kita tenggelam di dalamnya tanpa sadar. Banyak hal terjadi… dan jujur, saya belum tahu apakah akan mulai rutin nulis lagi di sini. Tapi, mari kita mulai dari cerita akhir bulan lalu.
Tilem di Candi Prambanan (Rabu, 25 Juni 2025)
Semuanya berawal dari dorongan tiba-tiba ingin ikut rombongan ibu-ibu IPJB (Paguyuban Pura Jagatnatha Banguntapan) naik bis untuk sembahyang Tilem di Candi Prambanan. Sampai ada yang komentar, “Kok tumben Mbak Ayu?” Hehe… iya, karena selama ini memang belum pernah ikut Tilem atau Purnama di sana.
Untungnya ikut rombongan bis, karena jalanan macet parah banget…maklum, long weekend.
Persembahyangan Tilem berlangsung pukul 15.00 WIB. Walaupun panas terik dan disaksikan banyak pengunjung, suasananya tetap khidmat. Rasanya tenang, hati jadi adem. Kayaknya lain kali pengen ikut lagi deh.
Tilem adalah hari suci dalam kalender Hindu yang bertepatan dengan fase bulan mati atau bulan baru (new moon), ketika bulan tidak tampak di langit malam. Secara spiritual, Tilem dianggap sebagai waktu untuk merenung, membersihkan diri, dan mengendalikan hawa nafsu. Banyak umat Hindu memanfaatkannya untuk melakukan persembahyangan, berjapa, atau upacara pembersihan batin. Di Candi Prambanan, Tilem dan Purnama dirayakan secara rutin dengan sembahyang bersama setiap bulan. Umat bisa langsung bergabung di lokasi jam 15.00 WIB.
Malam Satu Suro & Lampah Mubeng Beteng (Kamis, 26 Juni 2025)
Hari berikutnya adalah malam Satu Suro yang bertepatan dengan malam Jumat Kliwon yang dianggap sangat sakral atau “berenergi kuat.” Momen ini cukup istimewa karena hanya terjadi delapan tahun sekali (sewindu).
Siangnya, teman yang biasa ikut lampah mubeng beteng (ritual tapa bisu mengelilingi benteng Keraton Yogyakarta) bilang nggak bisa ikut. Sempat terpikir mau berangkat sendiri, tapi akhirnya ada teman lain yang ikut. Kami pun berangkat berempat, lumayan telat karena ya… tunggu-tungguan dulu. 😄 Ternyata baru sampai alun-alun utara sudah ramai banget. Dari area Pagelaran sudah penuh, kami mencoba masuk ke Keben tapi hanya bisa sampai gerbang, saking penuhnya.
Awal perjalanan kurang khidmat karena banyak yang desak-desakan, foto-foto, dan video. Padahal seharusnya semua yang ikut berjalan menjaga tapa bisu (tidak berbicara sama sekali). Untungnya, makin jauh jalannya, makin sepi juga manusianya. Tapi tetap saja, peserta tahun ini jauh lebih banyak dibanding tahun-tahun sebelumnya.
Mayoritas peserta masih bisa menjaga tapa bisu hingga akhir. Saya sendiri tetap berjalan sambil berjapa seperti biasa. (Satu teman tumbang di tengah jalan, nggak kuat lanjut. Hehe…)
Melukat di Petirtaan dekat Candi Gebang (Jumat, 27 Juni 2025)
Hari Jumat Kliwon-nya (1 Suro), saya dan Mas Tedi spontan janjian untuk melukat di sebuah petirtaan dekat Candi Gebang yang baru ditemukan kembali bulan April lalu oleh Pak Putu Sari.
Melukat adalah upacara pembersihan jiwa dan pikiran secara spiritual dalam ajaran Hindu. Dalam bahasa Bali, melukat berarti ritual penyucian diri. Dalam bahasa Jawa, artinya memercikkan air suci yang sudah didoakan oleh rama atau pemangku.
Kata melukat berasal dari bahasa Jawa Kuno: lukat, yang berarti menghapus, melepaskan, menyerapah (dosa atau kutukan), dan menyucikan.
Karena lokasinya baru ditemukan, jalannya masih cukup curam. Saat berangkat siang hari masih terang dan aman, tapi pulangnya sudah gelap, jadi harus ekstra hati-hati sambil pakai senter.
Kami bertujuh dibimbing langsung oleh Pak Putu. Suasananya benar-benar khidmat, tenang, dan setelahnya terasa banget efeknya: tubuh ringan, hati bersih, dan batin adem.
Selesai melukat, kami lanjut puja bersama di Candi Gebang, seperti rutinitas Kliwon biasanya di sana.
(Tidak Sengaja) Melukat Lagi di Pura Segara Wukir, Ngobaran (Sabtu, 28 Juni 2025)
Hari Sabtu, saya diajak Mbak Noeke ke Pura Segara Wukir di Pantai Ngobaran, Gunung Kidul. Awalnya saya pikir kami mau mekemit (berjapa semalam di pura), karena waktu telponan sinyalnya putus-putus dan saya nggak dengar bahwa rencananya sebenarnya adalah… melukat lagi.
Anehnya, saya juga nggak tanya-tanya lagi selama 2 jam perjalanan. Baru ngeh pas sampai sana, padahal saya nggak bawa baju ganti! 😂 Tapi ya sudahlah, tetap lanjut doa dan puja (sempat ketiduran sendiri di pura juga). Dan ternyata, alam semesta memang mengatur agar saya ikut melukat lagi.
Karena ombak di Ngobaran hari itu besar banget, ritual melukat tidak bisa dilakukan di laut. Akhirnya acara dipindah ke area pura. Jadi saya tetap bisa ikut, walaupun nggak bawa baju ganti.
Untuk prosesi melarung di laut, saya tidak ikut turun karena memang agak takut sama ombak besar. Saya cukup mendokumentasikan teman-teman yang melarung sajen dan telur ke laut dari kejauhan.
Itu tadi cerita perjalanan spiritual saya di akhir Juni… padat, spontan, dan penuh makna. Semoga semua proses ini bisa membawa kejernihan, kekuatan, dan kedamaian… untuk diri saya sendiri, dan siapa tahu, untuk siapa pun yang membaca ini.
English Version
A Spiritual Journey at the End of June
It feels like I just wrote my last blog post yesterday (November 2024!!!), and somehow it’s already July 2025. Half a year has flown by… Life is like that sometimes, we get swept up in it without even realizing. A lot has happened, and honestly, I’m still not sure if I’ll be posting here regularly again. But for now, let’s start with a story from the end of last month.
Tilem Prayers at Prambanan Temple (Wednesday, 25 June 2025)
It all started with a sudden urge to join a group of ibu-ibu from IPJB (Paguyuban Pura Jagatnatha Banguntapan) who were going by bus to attend Tilem prayers at Prambanan Temple. Someone even asked, “Wow, Mbak Ayu is coming?” Hehe… yep, because I’d never actually joined the Tilem or Purnama prayers there before.
I’m glad I joined the group bus, because the traffic was seriously intense… typical long weekend.
The prayer ceremony began at 3 PM. It was scorching hot and there were many curious tourists watching, but the whole atmosphere remained peaceful and sacred. I felt calm, my heart lighter. I think I’d like to join again next time.
Tilem is a sacred day in the Balinese and Javanese Hindu calendar that coincides with the new moon phase, when the moon is not visible in the night sky. Spiritually, Tilem is seen as a time for introspection, self-purification, and inner restraint. Many Hindus observe it with prayer, mantra chanting (japa), and rituals to cleanse the soul. At Prambanan Temple, there are public prayer gatherings held for both Tilem and Purnama (full moon) every month at 3 PM. Anyone is welcome to come and join.
Satu Suro Night & Lampah Mubeng Beteng (Thursday, 26 June 2025)
That Thursday night was the eve of 1 Suro, which happened to fall on a eve of Friday Kliwon – a sacred, powerful and rare moment that only occurs once every eight years (sewindu).
That afternoon, a friend who usually joins the lampah mubeng beteng (a silent ritual walk around the fortress of the Yogyakarta Palace) told me he couldn’t come. I almost decided to go alone, but luckily another friend joined, and in the end there were four of us. We were a bit late… classic waiting-for-each-other moment. 😄
It was already super crowded. The Pagelaran area was packed, and when we tried to get into the Keben area, we could only reach the gate—it was just that full.
The beginning of the walk felt less sacred due to the crowd, lots of pushing, people taking photos and videos. Ideally, all participants are expected to observe tapa bisu (complete silence). Thankfully, the further we walked, the fewer people there were, and the atmosphere grew quieter. Still, there were way more participants this year compared to previous ones.
Most people managed to remain silent until the end. I did my usual walk while japa (chanting mantra). (One of our friends had to stop halfway—just couldn’t make it. Hehe…)
Melukat at the Sacred Spring near Candi Gebang (Friday, 27 June 2025)
On Friday Kliwon, Mas Tedi and I spontaneously decided to do a melukat at a sacred spring near Candi Gebang, a site that was rediscovered just this past April by Pak Putu Sari.
Melukat is a spiritual purification ritual to cleanse the mind and soul. In Balinese, melukat means ritual cleansing; in Javanese, it refers to the sprinkling of holy water that has been blessed by a rama or pemangku (priest).
The word melukat comes from Old Javanese—lukat, meaning to release, purify, remove curses or sins, and to find spiritual freedom.
Since the spring is newly rediscovered, the path to it is still quite steep. It was fine during the day when we went down, but by the time we returned in the evening, it was dark, we had to be extra careful and use flashlights.
There were seven of us, and the ritual was led directly by Pak Putu Sari. The atmosphere was incredibly peaceful and sacred. Afterward, I felt light, cleansed, and deeply refreshed… body and spirit.
After the melukat, we continued with prayers at Candi Gebang, as part of our usual Kliwon ritual gathering there.
(Unintentionally) Melukat Again at Pura Segara Wukir, Ngobaran (Saturday, 28 June 2025)
On Saturday, Mbak Noeke invited me to Pura Segara Wukir at Ngobaran Beach, Gunung Kidul. At first, I thought we were going there to mekemit (an all-night japa session at the temple). The signal was poor during our phone call, and I didn’t catch that the real plan was… another melukat!
Strangely enough, I didn’t ask for clarification during the whole 2 hours drive. I only realized the plan when we arrived and of course, I hadn’t brought a change of clothes! 😂 Still, I joined in the prayers (and even fell asleep at the temple for a bit). And as it turns out, the universe had its own plan for me.
The waves at Ngobaran were huge that day, so the melukat ritual couldn’t be performed in the sea. It was moved to the temple area instead. So even without extra clothes, I was able to participate.
I didn’t join the larung (ritual of offering to the sea) since I’m not too comfortable with big waves. I stayed above and documented the others who released their offerings—sajen and eggs—into the ocean.
So that was my spiritual journey at the end of June, spontaneous, full, and deeply meaningful. I hope the entire process brings clarity, strength, and peace… for myself, and who knows, maybe for you reading this too.