VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Hundreds of mothers came down to Cimadur River located on the northside of Ciusul Village, Citorek Kidul Village, Cibeber sub- district, Lebak regency, Banten province on November 5^th 2020. They bathed together to carry out a tradition called ‘Seren Taun Kasepuhan Ciusul’ which is held once in a year. Bathing together carried out by the women is called the Neres tradition. The tradition has been done for hundreds of years and it is still continuously preserved up to now. Besides being a ritual event, this tradition has also become a tourism attraction in Kasepuhan Ciusul.

The Neres Tradition is part of a series of Seren Taun ceremony  held as a form of gratitude after the harvest is over. Neres is a ritual performed to get rid of  harmful diseases, such as the spread of disease outbreaks, famine, every time to plant rice or trees with poor results. Besides   bathing, in the Neres Tradition, every day women also bring household utensils to clean. They come from a village in Kasepuhan Ciusul. In the Neres tradition, not all women are allowed to participate; they must fulfill certain conditions, including the menstruating women. Interestingly, the Neres tradition also uses natural elements for bathing, for example, using rice stalks or burnt straw for shampoo.

Besides the Neres tradition, the community of Kasepuhan Ciusul  has various other tourism attractions. For natural tourism, there is charm of the country above the clouds of  Mt. Luhur. The cultural tourism is also various. To  know the local culture, you can go around Kasepuhan. The right time to visit Ciusul Citorek is when Kasepuhan is holding a big harvest and Seren Taun. On the occasion, tourists may witness various cultural and traditional attractions.