Reyog, Becekan, and Cangkrukan: Culture as an Architecture of Interreligious Harmony in Ponorogo, Indonesia

Isnatin Ulfah; Luthfi Hadi Aminuddin

doi:10.37680/adabiya.v21i1.8509

Authors

Isnatin Ulfah UIN Kiai Ageng Muhammad Besari Ponorogo
Luthfi Hadi Aminuddin UIN Kiai Ageng Muhammad Besari Ponorogo

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37680/adabiya.v21i1.8509

Keywords:

Becekan, Cangkrukan, Interreligious Harmony, Reyog, Social Architecture

Abstract

This study examines how local cultural practices in Ponorogo, Reyog, Becekan, and Cakngkruan function as forms of social architecture that support interreligious harmony and peacebuilding. In the midst of the complex dynamics of coexistence among Muslim, Catholic, Christian, Hindu, and local religious communities, this tradition shows that culture is not just a symbolic heritage but a system of life that governs social relations, mediates diversity, and strengthens shared moral values. Using a qualitative field research design, this study draws on in-depth interviews, participant observations, and thematic analysis to uncover how these cultural practices foster empathy and cooperation across religious boundaries. Data was collected from religious leaders, cultural practitioners, and village elders representing various religious groups who were actively involved in Reyog performances, Becekan meetings, and Cakngkrukan dialogues.

These findings reveal that Reyog serves as a symbolic architecture of unity, integrating aesthetic, spiritual, and civic expressions through interfaith collaboration; Becekan serves as a reciprocal ethical architecture that strengthens economic solidarity and social empathy through acts of mutual assistance; and Cakngkrukan operates as a dialogical architecture of tolerance, fostering interfaith understanding through daily meetings and informal conversations. Collectively, these practices form a dynamic cultural structure in which harmony is maintained not by formal institutions or theological doctrine but by living traditions that continue to reproduce trust and togetherness. Theoretically, this research expands the cultural framework as a social architecture, positioning local wisdom as the foundation of pluralism and social cohesion in Southeast Asia. Practically, it highlights the importance of revitalizing local cultural values as a community-based peacebuilding strategy rooted in empathy, participation, and interfaith solidarity.

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