CCN, Banten – Sasaka Cibanten, a cultural festival initiated by the Cultural Heritage Preservation Center (BPK) Region VIII, serves as a platform to celebrate and preserve the rich cultural heritage of Banten. The festival’s program includes seminars, workshops, exhibitions, and artistic performances held at various historical sites across the region.
The Sasaka Cibanten festival unfolds in three stages — beginning at the Upper Point (Hulu), continuing through the Middle Point (Tengah), and culminating at the Lower Point (Hilir). The grand finale took place on October 25–26, 2025, at Kaibon Palace and Speelwijk Fortress in Old Banten.
One of the most captivating performances was the “Dharma Banyu” Dance Drama, which mesmerized audiences through its powerful artistry and deep historical narrative. The performance depicts how the ancestors of Banten ingeniously developed an advanced water filtration system during the Banten Sultanate era to purify water from Lake Tasikardi before channeling it to the royal palace of Surosowan.
Through this performance, audiences are taken on a symbolic journey exploring the creation of three sacred purification stages known as Pangindelan Abang (Red Purification), Pangindelan Putih (White Purification), and Pangindelan Emas (Golden Purification).
Pangindelan Abang represents the initial stage of struggle, symbolizing the first filtration from worldly impurities.
Pangindelan Putih signifies the stage of cleansing and purification, where water attains clarity.
Pangindelan Emas marks the ultimate stage of sanctity, likened to pure gold that sustains noble life at the heart of the Banten Sultanate.
Director and choreographer Yogi Hadiansyah explained that Dharma Banyu is more than a performance — it is a reconstruction of the collective memory of Banten’s advanced maritime civilization.
“Dharma Banyu is not merely a dance, but an artistic interpretation of an ancient technological masterpiece. We wish to show that the ‘devotion to water’ in Banten is not only about resource management, but also about process, purity, and reverence,” said Yogi.
The performance seamlessly blends dynamic traditional Banten dance movements with evocative gamelan music and stunning visual design, using the historical architecture of Speelwijk Fortress as a natural stage. Dozens of talented dancers and musicians from Banten collaborated to revive the noble spirit of the sacred water civilization that once flourished under the Banten Sultanate. (Ahdi)
