•    HOME   
•    NEWS   
•    BUSINESS   
•    INTERNATIONAL   
•    TECH   
•    SPORTS   
•    LIFE & TIMES   
•    OPINION   
•    MY JAKARTA   
•    BLOGS   

If Jakarta has the Setu Babakan heritage site to preserve Betawi culture, then Bogor has Sindangbarang for West Java’s native Sundanese culture.

The village is located amid the rolling hills about five kilometers outside of Bogor city. Because taxis don’t operate this far outside of the city, the only way to reach Sindangbarang is by private vehicle or angkot (public minivan).

It was drizzling when my friend and I arrived at the village one recent Saturday morning. Bogor was crowded as usual, but the absence of Jakarta’s heat made a nice change. A rusty signpost pointed the way to Sindangbarang, but once in the village we had to ask directions to find the kampung budaya (heritage site).

After parking, we walked about 50 meters off the main street, along a slippery, rocky path, to reach the site. Sturdy shoes are recommended.

It was quiet as we passed through the front gate, which revealed a spacious green field with buildings on each side. The heritage site was designed to replicate a traditional Sundanese village, and all of the bamboo houses are rumah panggung , meaning they are raised above the ground on stilts.

On our right of the entrance, steps lead to a large house featuring a rock the size of a man in the garden. On the left are seven houses for storing rice, as well as other traditional houses.

Three men were sitting and chatting by one of the buildings. One of them, Suna who works at the site, greeted us and led us to the bale meriung , an open hall in the corner of the heritage site.

Three mats were laid in front of a long board displaying newspaper articles about the site. Behind the open hall was a paddy field and a breathtaking view of the hills.

Encem, the kokolot , or manager, joined us and took us on a short tour of the area. He is a fount of useful and interesting information, having been born in Sindangbarang in 1951.

“In the time of our ancestors, every house in the whole area looked like this,” he said, gesturing to the traditional buildings. “The uniformity symbolized our harmoniousness and togetherness.”

About 90 percent of Sindangbarang’s residents are now Muslim, according to Encem, but once they all subscribed to Sunda Wiwitan, the indigenous belief system of the Sundanese.

These days most of the residents work as farmers or make handicrafts.

Every building on the site has its own meaning and function. Our tour of the complex took in seven granaries, a few traditional houses, an open hall and a performance hall for music.

There was also an imah gede , or big house, where the papuhu — the chief of customary affairs — lives. This was the house marked with the man-sized rock in the garden. The rock, called ungkal biang , is said to have a spirit living in it that prevents some people from entering the house. For example, children aren’t allowed in and adults are only permitted to enter in small, well-behaved groups.

More comprehensive tours of the site are available for groups of 30 people or more. On these tours guests learn how to plant rice, perform traditional dances and play local instruments. They also have the option of visiting historical sites in the village and working with archeologists from the University of Indonesia on digs and preservation efforts.

People visiting in smaller groups can call the office to arrange to join other small groups to reach the 30 person minimum for this tour.

Encem was wearing a black suit that he said was just like the Sundanese wore in “the old times.”

While many things have changed in the village over the years — not just the way most people dress — in certain matters the people of Sindangbarang still hew closely to customs.

Last month they held Serentaun , an annual, seven-day harvest festival, which includes dancing and a parade where the harvest is carried in.

However, one change to the harvest festival is the type of rice being harvested. A new strain of rice that can be harvested three times a year has been adopted in recent years — though in one of the granaries visitors can still see a sample of the original strain of rice.

“Actually, the [old style of] rice is more filling than the rice we plant these days, and it also lasts longer,” Encem said. He added, though, that it could only be harvested once a year.

Ten of the traditional houses in the complex serve as guest houses, with prices ranging from Rp 800,000 to Rp 2.6 million ($85 to $280) per house for one night. The higher price includes food and a tour.

Most houses are around six-by-nine meters, and the largest house available to guests contains four bedrooms and a bathroom.

According to Encem, one house can sleep up to 30 people. However, after looking inside it seems this would be rather crowded and a more comfortable number would be closer to 10.

Encem lives at the heritage site with Karna, another manager. Their families visit regularly and drop off food, though Encem is only occasionally able to visit his family at home when there are no visitors to the site.

He said he enjoys his role and accepts his responsibility to preserve Sundanese culture, even though it means his access to modernity is limited and he is not even allowed a mobile phone.

“I don’t mind,” he said. “Of course, I wanted to have a hand phone, because it would be easier for me to call my family, but I see this duty as an honor.”