Bendar Village residents give thanks for their blessings with Larung Sesaji Juwana

For the residents of Bendar Village, Juwana District, Pati Regency, Central Java Province, the sea has provided many blessings. Therefore, they give thanks to God for the blessings the sea has given them every year through the Larung Sesaji Juwana tradition.

The residents who live on the banks of Juwana River were seen to have been busy since the morning of Apr. 13, 2025. Many of them arrange traditional snacks and an Asian water buffalo head on miniature ships decorated with coconut leaves. There are also bananas and seven kinds of porridge.

Hundreds of residents then accompanied the miniature boat containing the buffalo head from the Bendar Village Hall to the Bendar Dock. Several traditional artistic performances and drum bands enlivened the procession.

Arriving at the dock, the miniature ship and the buffalo head offering were then loaded onto a ship. For more than 30 minutes, residents looked solemn as they accompanied the offerings to the sea atop the vessel.

Upon arrival at the estuary, a number of community leaders and religious leaders held a joint prayer on the ship. Afterwards, the miniature ship containing the buffalo head was sent out to sea.

For local residents, the tradition of sea almsgiving is an expression of gratitude to God after being given abundant fish catches. The tradition is also a form of prayer so that Bendar villagers will be given safety while earning a living at sea.

"We routinely hold the sea almsgiving every year in gratitude for the abundance of good fortune from fishing for the fishermen, and at the same time rejecting misfortune so that they are given safety when going out to sea," explained Bendar Village Sea Almsgiving Committee Chair Heri Budianto.

He added that the sea almsgiving and buffalo head larung tradition which are part of Larung Sesaji Juwana are also a cultural element of the people of Bendar Village.

This tradition has become local wisdom that needs to be preserved, and it can also be a means of gathering for all the people in the village on the north coast of Java.

"With friendship, our lives will be extended and our sustenance will increase," Heri said.

In addition to the Larung Sesaji Juwana tradition, Heri noted that there are other entertainment events which include shadow puppet shows, ketoprak, salawat, as well as Qur'an group recitation and study.

"This afternoon's peak is ketoprak and salawat pengajian," he explained.

Meanwhile, the Head of Bendar Village, Juwana District, Pati Regency, Sutopo, said that the tradition of sea alms and larung sesaji has become a routine agenda for his village residents. He hopes that the coming year will be more advanced, more successful, and that fishermen's businesses will be given lots of fortune.

"There are no problems either on land or at sea. Hopefully, we will always be successful," he added.