LUMAJANG, 28 September 2026 — The Tengger community’s knowledge of time, nature, agriculture, and ways of life once again became a shared learning space at the discussion forum “The Tengger Calendar and Indigenous Knowledge: Tengger for the World.” The event was organized by ALIT Indonesia through its Jember Regional Secretariat, in collaboration with the cultural group BalaiRW Institute, at Oemah Sroedji & Space in Lumajang on Monday, 28 September.
Held from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Western Indonesian Time (WIB), the forum brought together 38 participants, including history enthusiasts, literacy community members, and academics. The speakers were Romo Eko Warnoto, Chair of the Paruman Dukun Pandhita Tengger Brang Kulon; Yuliati Umrah, Executive Director of ALIT Indonesia and a researcher of the Tengger community since 1995; and Mayfa Dei Anggraeni, Cultural Services Officer at DIDIKNASBUD Lumajang.
Rather than viewing traditional knowledge merely as a relic of the past, the discussion demonstrated that Tengger knowledge remains alive, continues to be practiced and passed down through generations, and is directly connected to the sustainability of the community’s living environment.
Understanding Nature Through the Tengger Calendar
One of the key topics discussed was the Tengger community’s calendar system. Yuliati Umrah explained that the Tengger people continue to maintain their calendar as an integral part of their indigenous knowledge.
In practice, the community uses a method known as niteni mangsa, which involves observing natural signs by paying attention to the movements of the moon and the sun. This knowledge is not merely a system for calculating time; it is closely connected to agricultural activities, planting patterns, and the community’s relationship with its environment.
“The calendar is not merely about calculating time. It contains knowledge about nature and how humans position themselves within their living environment,” was the central idea conveyed in Yuliati’s presentation.
According to Yuliati, the Tengger region also serves a vital ecological function as a water catchment area that sustains several areas of East Java, particularly the surrounding buffer zones. Therefore, the community’s knowledge of reading natural signs and determining planting patterns is inseparable from the region’s ecological sustainability.
Knowledge of when and how to plant, when to anticipate seasonal changes, and how to treat the environment has become an integral part of the community’s way of life. In this context, the Tengger community’s agricultural knowledge contributes to maintaining the ecological balance of the Tengger region, particularly Brang Kulon.
The Tengger Calendar Has Its Own Formulas and Logic
Romo Eko Warnoto expanded on the discussion by explaining that the Tengger calendar has its own calculation formulas, inherited through indigenous knowledge.
One of the concepts introduced was the method known as nemu gelang. Within this system, the calculation of mangsa (seasonal periods) cannot be separated from observations of natural cycles. Romo Eko explained that the seasonal calculations need to be periodically recalibrated, approximately every 120 years at most, because changes occur in the calculation of time. The system experiences a shift of approximately one day each year, making adjustments necessary.
This explanation demonstrates that the Tengger calendar has its own distinctive system of knowledge and reasoning. Its division of time cannot simply be equated with the calendar systems commonly used today. A month in this system is not necessarily understood as consisting of 31 days, as its calculations follow formulas and cycles embedded in the Tengger community’s knowledge.
For Romo Eko, this knowledge is part of a heritage that speaks not only about time but also about the relationship between humans and nature.
This value is reflected in one of the teachings shared during the discussion:
“Plant a tree before cutting one down.”
The message illustrates a principle of ecological responsibility in Tengger life: the use of natural resources must be accompanied by efforts to ensure their continued sustainability.
Documenting Tengger Cultural Heritage
Meanwhile, Mayfa Dei Anggraeni presented the efforts of DIDIKNASBUD Lumajang to document Cultural Advancement Objects (Objek Pemajuan Kebudayaan or OPK) in the Tengger areas of Lumajang Regency.
Documentation has been carried out in several areas, including Argosari, Senduro, and Pakel. The process covers various forms of cultural heritage, including artifacts and sites that are currently classified as Suspected Cultural Heritage Objects (Objek Diduga Cagar Budaya or ODCB).
This documentation is an important step toward ensuring that the Tengger community’s cultural knowledge and heritage can be identified, recorded, and used as a foundation for cultural protection and advancement.
For the participants, this information highlighted that cultural preservation is not limited to protecting physical objects or historical sites. It also involves safeguarding the knowledge, practices, values, and collective memories that remain alive within the community.
Tengger for the World: Turning Local Knowledge into Shared Learning
The discussion then developed into a reflection on the meaning of the theme “Tengger for the World.”
“Tengger for the World” does not mean separating Tengger knowledge from its cultural roots or from the community that owns and sustains it. Instead, the theme invites people to recognize that knowledge developed through the Tengger community’s lived experiences holds value for broader learning and understanding.
Knowledge of calendars, reading natural signs, agriculture, water, forests, and the relationship between humans and the environment can contribute to wider conversations about sustainability and the future of our living environments.
Amid climate change, growing pressure on natural resources, and the increasing distance between younger generations and local knowledge, the experiences of the Tengger community demonstrate the importance of preserving knowledge that has emerged from a longstanding relationship between people and their environment.
Therefore, preserving Tengger knowledge cannot rely on documentation alone. This knowledge must continue to be practiced, passed down, studied, and discussed across generations.
Building Spaces for Learning Across Knowledge Systems
The participation of history enthusiasts, literacy communities, and academics demonstrated the importance of bringing together different perspectives to develop a more comprehensive understanding of Tengger culture.
The forum also provided a space to recognize the Tengger community through its own identity, history, and cultural knowledge, while opening opportunities for dialogue so that local knowledge does not remain confined to archives but continues to have a place in everyday community life.
ALIT Indonesia believes that cultural heritage is not merely a legacy of the past. It is living knowledge that can help communities understand nature, safeguard food security, nurture social relationships, and protect their living environments.
Through the discussion forum “The Tengger Calendar and Indigenous Knowledge: Tengger for the World,” the knowledge of the Tengger community was once again brought into a shared conversation: how humans read the signs of nature, how knowledge is passed down, and how culture can serve as one pathway toward sustaining life.
Ultimately, Tengger for the World is about keeping knowledge alive, ensuring that what has been passed down by our ancestors is not merely remembered but continues to guide present and future generations.
