TEROB VOLUME 16 NOMOR 2 APRIL 2026
YEARS
The Conservation of The Oklik Performance Within The Bersih Desa Ritual Tradition in Sobontoro Village.
Balen District.
Bojonegoro Regency Lilis Lestari (Sekolah Tinggi Kesenian Wilwatikta Surabaya /Indonesia/ lilislestari.
ryn@gmail.
ABSTRACT
DOI: https://doi.
org/10.
20111/terob.
124 This study investigates the conservation of the Oklik *Correspondensi: Lilis Lestari1, performance as an integral component of the Bersih Desa traditional ritual in Sobontoro Village.
Balen 1Email: / lilislestari.
ryn@gmail.
District.
Bojonegoro Regency.
The research focuses on 2 Email :
the structural characteristics of the performance, its socio-cultural functions, conservation strategies, and the impacts generated by preservation efforts of this Received:26-02-2026 agrarian ritual art.
The study addresses key questions Accepted:07-04-2026 concerning the role of the Oklik performance within the Published:15-04-2026 Bersih Desa ritual and the implications of its conservation for the local community.
Research participants included Oklik performers, traditional leaders, village officials, and members of the younger Terob Journal is licensed under a Creative generation in Sobontoro Village.
A qualitative Commons License Attribution-ShareAlike 0 methodology employing an ethnographic approach was International Copyright: A 2026 by the authors.
applied through participant observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation.
Data were analyzed descriptively and interpretively, with particular attention to ritual functions, symbolic meanings, sacred values, and conservation outcomes.
The findings reveal that the Oklik performance functions as a ritual medium, a form of communal entertainment, and a mechanism for reinforcing social cohesion within the community.
Academically, this study contributes a conceptual model for the conservation of ritual-based traditional arts that may be adapted to other cultural contexts.
From a socio-cultural perspective, the conservation of Oklik strengthens local cultural identity, facilitates the regeneration of young artists, and revitalizes values of mutual cooperation and harmony among humans, nature, and spirituality.
Economically, the conservation efforts stimulate the development of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME.
rooted in traditional rituals and enhance the potential for cultural tourism without compromising the ritualAos sacred character.
Additionally, the study demonstrates educational implications through the incorporation of Oklik into local arts and culture curricula and provides a reference for local government policies concerning the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage.
In conclusion, the conservation of the Oklik performance generates measurable and sustainable impacts on cultural preservation, community empowerment, and regional cultural development.
Keywords: Conservation.
Oklik Performance.
Traditional Ritual.
Bersih Desa.
Sobontoro Village TEROB VOLUME 16 NOMOR 2 APRIL 2026
Oklik evolved beyond its strictly sacred role
INTRODUCTION
The Bersih Desa (Village Cleansin.
ritual constitutes an agrarian tradition that continues to be maintained by rural communities in Java as an expression of gratitude for agricultural abundance and as a means of sustaining humans, the natural environment, and spiritual forces.
In Sobontoro Village.
Balen District.
Bojonegoro Regency, this ritual functions not only as a religious and communal practice but also as a dynamic arena for traditional artistic expression deeply embedded in local cultural values.
One of the central artistic elements within this ritual is the Oklik The Oklik performance is a traditional bamboo-based musical art form that historically emerged from the Sobontoro In its early manifestations.
Oklik served ritualistic purposes such as warding off misfortune and disease, marking time, night watch duties, and Throughout its historical development and processes of cultural acculturationAi ranging from animist and dynamist belief systems to Hindu-Buddhist influences and later Islamic valuesAithe form and function of Oklik have undergone significant transformation.
Gradually, to encompass functions as communal interaction, and a vehicle for reinforcing local cultural identity.
Nevertheless, change, modernization, and shifting societal orientations have posed challenges to the sustainability of Oklik art.
The frequency and intensity of Oklik performances within ritual contexts have declined, while the regeneration of practitioners has been hindered by diminishing interest among younger generations in traditional arts.
Concurrently.
Oklik has increasingly been performances or cultural spectacles, a transformation that carries the risk of diminishing its sacred values (Sukri, 2.
These developments raise critical questions regarding the capacity of Oklik to remain viable, relevant, and meaningful without losing its ritual foundations and the cultural values that constitute its essence.
Within this context, the conservation of Oklik performances has become an urgent Conservation should not be understood merely as the preservation of encompass the safeguarding of symbolic meanings, social functions, and the broader ritual framework in which the performance is situated.
Effective conservation efforts TEROB VOLUME 16 NOMOR 2 APRIL 2026 require the active involvement of local Regency.
It is expected that this research tradition, as well as strategies to support understanding of the dynamics of Oklik as a intergenerational transmission and the form of ritual art and offer insights into regeneration of cultural practitioners to community-based ensure the sustainability of Oklik art strategic approach to sustaining traditional arts at the local level.
ongoing social This research is significant in that it seeks not only to document and analyze the forms METHODOLOGY and functions of Oklik performances The method used in this research within the Bersih Desa ritual sequence, employs a descriptive qualitative approach but also to generate practical and with a ritual ethnography perspective to meaningful impacts for the community.
examine the conservation of the Oklik From a socio-cultural perspective, the study is expected to reinforce local cultural identity and enhance collective Village.
Balen District.
Sobontoro Regency.
This qualitative approach was community regarding the importance of chosen because it allows researchers to ritual arts in communal life.
From an deeply understand the symbolic meaning, educational standpoint, the findings may social function, sacred values, and cultural serve as a contextual resource for learning about local arts and culture performance as an agrarian ritual art.
grounded in indigenous knowledge.
Through this approach, this research Furthermore, the study aims to contribute positions Oklik as a living cultural practice to the development of a creative economy inseparable from the social system, beliefs, based on traditional rituals and to inform and agrarian life of the local community local government policies related to the (Moleong, 2.
intangible cultural heritage.
Based on this background, the Bersih This research Desa Sobontoro Bojonegoro Oklik was conducted Sobontoro Village, an agrarian region that continues to maintain the Bersih Desa present study focuses on the conservation of Oklik performances within the Bersih performance as a vital part of the ritual Desa ritual tradition in Sobontoro Sobontoro Village was chosen as the Village.
Balen District.
Bojonegoro
research location due to its authentic Oklik
TEROB VOLUME 16 NOMOR 2 APRIL 2026
traditions, rich cultural values, and the costumes, community roles, and symbolic challenges faced in conserving traditional arts amidst modernization and social The socio-cultural conditions of interviews were conducted with artists, the community, which still uphold the traditional figures, village officials, and the community to gain an understanding of the togetherness, and agrarian spirituality, history, function, cultural values, and provide a strong context for the study of community-based Documentation Oklik In-depth, semi-structured Oklik.
collecting photographs, videos, interview The research subjects involved recordings, field notes, simple musical various parties directly and indirectly notation, and other supporting documents involved in the Oklik performance and relevant to the research.
the Bersih Desa ritual.
These included Data Oklik artists, elders and traditional descriptively and analytically using an figures, arts leaders, village officials, interactive analysis model that includes data community leaders, the village's younger reduction, data presentation, conclusion drawing, and verification (Moleong, 2.
supporters and spectators of the ritual.
The data obtained were selected and Furthermore, the author involved local grouped based on research themes, such as artists and cultural figures, as well as performance forms, supporting institutions that play a role in preserving village arts and culture.
This conservation practices.
Furthermore, the diversity of subjects enabled the author to data were presented in narrative and capture a comprehensive perspective on interpretive form to reveal the relationship the meaning, function, and conservation between the Oklik performing arts, the efforts of the Oklik performance.
Bersih Desa ritual, and the dynamics of as well as Data collection ritual and was conducted cultural conservation.
To maintain data through observation, interviews, and validity, this study applied triangulation of sources, techniques, and time by comparing conducted in both participatory and non- the results of observations, interviews, and participatory ways to directly understand documentation at various stages of the ritual the ritual stages, performance forms.
Observations TEROB VOLUME 16 NOMOR 2 APRIL 2026
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
History and Origins of Oklik Art in Sobontoro Village Oklik is a traditional bamboo-based percussive art form originating from Sobontoro Village.
Balen District.
Bojonegoro Regency.
The term Oklik is derived from the characteristic AuklikklikAy sound produced by the bamboo Historically.
Oklik developed from the kentongan tradition commonly found in rural Javanese communities pre-colonial functioning as a medium of social communication prior to the introduction of modern technology.
Over time.
Oklik evolved into a distinctive cultural expression of the agrarian Sobontoro community, integrating social, spiritual, embodying a worldview that emphasizes harmony among humans, the natural (Mursim, 2.
In its initial function, the bamboo communication tool used to signal night .
re-dawn meal.
, magrib .
, and emergency situations such as fires, thefts, or disease Each signal was conveyed through specific rhythmic patterns that community members.
The repeated and kentongan gradually transformed this functional activity into a collective musical expression, which later crystallized into a folk art form known as Oklik.
The emergence of Oklik is closely linked to the socio-cultural context of the agrarian Sobontoro community situated along the Bengawan Solo River, where values of mutual cooperation .
otong royon.
and ritual traditions such as Bersih Desa or Sedekah Bumi (Earth Almsgivin.
are deeply embedded in daily life.
Bamboo, as a readily available natural resource, became an integral material in the communityAos Oklik initiativesAiprimarily among farmers and village youth engaged in night patrolsAi rather than from elite cultural circles, reflecting its character as a folk art rooted in the communityAos social, spiritual, and recreational needs (Kadarminto, 2.
Between the 1950s and 1970s.
Oklik began to be performed rhythmically as a particularly during post-harvest periods, the month of Ramadan, and prior to Multiple performers played bamboo gongs of varying sizes to produce low, medium, and TEROB VOLUME 16 NOMOR 2 APRIL 2026 high tonal ranges, forming simple yet cohesive rhythmic compositions.
During governments, including formal recognition this phase.
Oklik functioned not only as of Oklik as communal cultural heritage, entertainment but was also imbued with facilitated the establishment of organized spiritual significance, as it was believed Oklik performance groups.
During this to ward off misfortune and maintain period, younger generations contributed equilibrium between humans, nature, and ancestral spirits.
Within the Bersih Desa ritual tradition of Sobontoro Village.
Oklik elements, and the use of choreographed accompaniment to the procession of offerings from the village hall to sacred characteristics of the art form (Kadarminto, sites such as the punden .
ncestral shrin.
or Mojo well.
The rhythmic Philosophically.
Oklik communal values, sounds of Oklik are believed to reinforce the ritualAos sacred atmosphere, invoke gotong royong, as each performer assumes ancestral presence, and intensify the a distinct role that contributes to a unified collective sense of togetherness during the procession.
In this ritual context.
Bamboo.
Oklik functions as a symbolic collective symbolizes simplicity, resilience, and voice, articulating social solidarity and sustainability within the agrarian context of affirming the communal identity of the Sobontoro, while the sound of Oklik is village (Suyanto, 2.
believed to transmit positive energy and From the 1990s through the early express the collective spirit of the 2000s.
Oklik experienced a process of Consequently.
Oklik functions not merely as a form of entertainment, but extending its performance contexts also as a medium of spiritual expression.
Indonesian social cohesion, and cultural education that Independence Day reinforces the local identity of the celebrations, sub-district and district Sobontoro cultural festivals, school events, and socio-cultural change.
other social occasions.
Institutional TEROB VOLUME 16 NOMOR 2 APRIL 2026 Form of the Bersih Desa Traditional Ritual in its Procession The Bersih everyday village life.
(Village The Bersih Desa ritual embodies a set Cleansin.
ritual in Sobontoro Village of cultural values that are internalized and constitutes an annual agrarian tradition enacted at each stage of the ceremonial These values are not merely communal gratitude for agricultural symbolic in nature but are expressed yields and as a collective supplication through tangible social practices and for the villageAos safety and prosperity.
communal interactions.
Desa identity and remains actively embedded in The ritual is understood as a process of The core values articulated through both physical and spiritual purification, the ritual include:
encompassing not only the cleansing of .
religious the villageAos physical environment but expressions of gratitude to God and also efforts to restore social harmony by collective prayers for safety and well- mitigating conflict, misfortune, and perceived threats.
In this sense, the .
respect Bersih Desa ritual functions as a demonstrated through reverence for the collective mechanism for sustaining villageAos balance among humans, the natural environment, and divine forces, while .
social simultaneously expressing reverence for cultivation of harmony and social ancestral spirits who are believed to safeguard the village.
ecological values, indicated by an In its implementation, the Bersih awareness of and commitment to Desa ritual operates as a unifying social harmonious relationships with the institution that engages all segments of natural environment.
the community, transcending age groups .
moral and social stratifications.
Its continuous attitudes of humility, mutual respect, annual observance reflects a strong collective consciousness within the Sobontoro community regarding the heritage, which serves as a shared TEROB VOLUME 16 NOMOR 2 APRIL 2026 These values elevate the Bersih religious principles.
Consequently, the Desa (Village Cleansin.
ritual beyond a Sobontoro Bersih Desa ritual may be mere ceremonial activity, positioning it interpreted as an adaptive and syncretic instead as an integrated cultural system tradition in which religious and customary that reinforces social cohesion and elements operate in a complementary supports the sustainability of agrarian manner to sustain harmony among humans.
The Bersih Desa ritual in the natural environment, and spiritual Sobontoro Village forces, while also reinforcing the cultural Javanese interweaves elements of indigenous As part of this ritual tradition, the Bersih Desa ceremony is conducted practices, and Islamic teachings.
This through a structured sequence of activities, identity of the village community.
Islamic .
the recitation of Surah Yasin on the gatherings and the recitation of prayers evening preceding the Sedekah Bumi alongside traditional ritual practices, (Earth Almsgivin.
including the preparation of offerings, .
preparations for the ritual procession at ceremonial processions, and expressions the village hall on the morning of the of reverence toward ancestral spirits.
The prayers, conducted by religious teachers .
and village elders, .
the procession of offerings from the village hall to the Mojo Well.
illustrate the integration of Islamic Javanese notions of safety, prosperity, and wellbeing are understood not solely at the individual level but also in collective and ecological terms.
Within this framework, the Bersih Desa ritual functions as a space for cultural negotiation, enabling the community to preserve its traditional identity while Figure 1.
Procession to Mojo Well (Doc.
Lilis.
September 2.
the ceremonial reception of the procession by the religious teacher, traditional leaders, sub-district head, and village head.
collective prayers led by village elders TEROB VOLUME 16 NOMOR 2 APRIL 2026 and the custodian of the Mojo Well.
performance functions as an essential .
the placement of offerings within the component rather than merely a form of ritual area surrounding the Mojo it operates as a symbolic Well.
medium through which the community The inclusion of Oklik affirms local cultural identity while intensifying ritualAos reinforcing communal cohesion.
Figure 2.
Offerings for the Village Cleansing Ritual (Doc.
Lilis.
September 2.
the symbolic scramble for the seven .
one-shaped Desa ritual, including those expressed through the Oklik performance, encompass several interrelated dimensions.
These include:
religious values, manifested through prayers and slametan as collective .
a communal meal marking the conclusion of the daytime ritual .
the evening performance of Oklik Tayub, expressions of gratitude to God.
social values, reflected in practices of mutual cooperation .
otong royon.
The values embodied in the Bersih and active community participation.
ecological values, demonstrated by respect for nature as the source of life concludes the ritual series.
and sustenance.
The Artistic Value of Oklik in the .
aesthetic values, expressed through Village Cleaning Traditional Ritual performing arts, costumes, and the Series arrangement of ritual offerings.
The Bersih Desa (Village .
intergenerational solidarity, as the Cleansin.
ritual in Sobontoro Village constitutes a socio-religious practice that participants from diverse age groups.
Furthermore, each component of the religious belief, and artistic expression ritual carries distinct symbolic meanings into a cohesive cultural system.
Within that contribute to its overall significance, such as:
Oklik
TEROB VOLUME 16 NOMOR 2 APRIL 2026
The tumpeng .
one-shaped rice community members assemble to perform collective prayers, enact symbolic acts of relationship between humanity and purification, and prepare for subsequent the divine.
ritual activities as expressions of ancestral kembang setaman .
mixture of reverence and gratitude for the blessings fragrant flower.
represents purity bestowed upon the village.
In 2025, the and inner cleansing.
Bersih Desa ritual was conducted over the water signifies life, fertility, and period of 12Ae14 September, with the Mojo Well serving as the initial locus of the the Oklik procession symbolizes the ceremonial sequence, which culminated in dynamics of communal life and the a communal feast held within the village.
spirit of togetherness.
A prayers conducted at the punden .
ncestral shrin.
function as acts of remembrance and reverence for the villageAos Taken as a whole, the Bersih Desa ritual embodies the principle of balance among humans, nature, and God, a Javanese cosmology commonly understood as the ideal of harmony in life.
Figure 3.
Mojo Well (Documentation by Lilis.
September According to local oral traditions, the Mojo Well is believed to be associated with Dewi Sri and her punakawan during their lelono .
piritual journe.
The narrative Meaning and Symbolism of the Well "Mojo" in Sobontoro Village recounts that Dewi Sri, upon reaching the site in a state of exhaustion, embedded the The Mojo Well functions as the roots of a mojo tree into the ground in primary focal point for communal search of water, resulting in the emergence gatherings during the Bersih Desa of a spring that is believed never to have (Village Cleansin.
ritual in Sobontoro dried up.
This mythological account is Village and is culturally interpreted as understood by the local community as the an ancient water source imbued with origin of the Mojo WellAos perceived sacred cosmological significance.
At this site, and magical properties, which have been TEROB VOLUME 16 NOMOR 2 APRIL 2026 royon.
, social solidarity, and respect for symbols of fertility, protection, and ancestral heritage as integral components Consequently, the Mojo of community life.
Well occupies a dual role as both a .
Educational Impacts.
historical-spiritual The results of this study offer valuable communal ritual space that reinforces resources for arts and cultural education the social, ecological, and religious grounded in local wisdom, both within interconnectedness of the Sobontoro formal educational institutions and in village-based The documentation and analysis of Oklik Impact of Research on Society and Cultural Preservation This performances provide contextual learning materials that support the teaching of measurable impact on the Sobontoro Village community, particularly enhancing collective awareness of the impacts of the research categorized into several interrelated domains, such as:
communityAos particularly for younger generations.
Impact Regeneration Traditional Arts.
This members in Oklik artistic practices through participation, and informal training at the Sobontoro deepening local understanding of the meanings and processes of cultural transmission, ritual .
Social and Cultural Impacts.
The values, and local cultural knowledge, importance of preserving Oklik as a form of local cultural heritage.
The functions of Oklik performances within the Bersih Desa ritual tradition.
As a result, collective awareness regarding the significance of ritual-based revitalization of core communal values village level.
Such engagement contributes to the sustainability of Oklik as a living tradition that continues to be transmitted across generations.
Impact on the Local Creative Economy.
The study identifies the potential for Oklik performances to be developed as part of a culture-based creative economy, including documentation, and the development of such as mutual cooperation .
otong TEROB VOLUME 16 NOMOR 2 APRIL 2026 village-based Importantly, these economic initiatives aesthetic expression, and supporting ritual can be pursued without diminishing the practices within village life.
Within the context sacred values and ritual contexts that are of the Bersih Desa ritual.
Oklik functions not inherent in the Bersih Desa tradition.
merely as entertainment but as a symbolic .
Implications for Cultural Policy and medium that accompanies collective prayers.
Heritage Preservation.
Finally, this research serves as an articulates a sense of communal unity.
The Bersih Desa ritual in Sobontoro, governments and cultural institutions in which is spatially and symbolically centered on the formulation of policies related to the agricultural land and the Mojo Well, reflects intangible cultural heritage.
The study of Oklik conceptual and empirical foundations for the development of communitybased programs in Bojonegoro Regency.
Javanese emphasizes harmony among humans, the natural environment, and spiritual forces.
Each phase of the ritualAifrom preparatory activities and slametan offerings, to ritual processions performancesAiembodies integrated set of religious, social, ecological, and educational values.
The sustained practice of this tradition, alongside the adaptive CONCLUSION transformation of Oklik in response to The findings of this study indicate that the Oklik art form and the Bersih Desa cultural resilience of the Sobontoro community (Village Cleansin.
ritual in Sobontoro in negotiating social change.
At the same time.
Village constitute an agrarian cultural it underscores the importance of preserving heritage that has emerged from the social, traditional arts as expressions of local identity spiritual, and ecological needs of the local and as effective media for cultural transmission Originally functioning as a to future generations.
traditional medium of communication.
Oklik has evolved into a form of folk
performance that plays a significant role in TEROB VOLUME 16 NOMOR 2 APRIL 2026
REFERENCES