Kasepuhan Gelaralam, an indigenous community that persistently continues to preserve ancestral practices, located a four-hour drive from the heart of Sukabumi. Not an ordinary four-hour trip, but more than half of the route is not yet a smooth roads but rather stones and dirts.
Although located in Sukabumi, a small town in West Java, this village is far from what most people might imagine. Situated on the slopes of Mount Salak, its way of life, patterns of thought, and perspective on nature feel distinctly different. As you arrive in Kasepuhan Gelaralam, The sound of flowing water can be heard nearby, greeting anyone who enters the area. Formerly known as Kasepuhan Ciptagelar, this village sits on a mountain slope, where cool air blends with sweeping green views of grasslands and terraced rice fields stretch across the landscape.
Kasepuhan Gelaralam lies among other kasepuhan communities as a part of the Banten Kidul Indigenous Confederation, many of which share similar landscapes. Yet, there is something distinctly different about Kasepuhan Gelaralam. Ngalalakon, a tradition that requires the community to relocate periodically, is a cultural inheritance that the people of Gelaralam have practiced for hundreds of years. To date, Gelaralam has undertaken ngalalakon twenty times. This relocation process is carried out only upon the instruction of Abah Ugi Sugriana Rakasiwi, the leader of Kasepuhan Gelaralam, who continues the lineage of leadership from his father, Abah Anom.
Uniquely, this relocation leaves no trace and causes no damage to the surrounding environment. When the community moves, houses are dismantled or carried together by the residents. As a result, Kasepuhan Gelaralam is deeply rooted in a culture of collectiveness. Nearly every aspect of life in the community is shaped by this spirit of togetherness, including rice cultivation–from planting to harvest—which is carried out only once a year. Rice holds a sacred place in the lives of the Gelaralam community.
“If we talk about life and the giver of life, the giver of life is staple food,” said Kang Yoyo Yogasmana, spokesperson for Kasepuhan Gelaralam, when Enter Nusantara asked about the community’s cultural values.
From this belief, most residents of Gelaralam work as farmers, not to sell their harvest, but to consume it collectively, in line with the values of togetherness upheld in the kasepuhan. Beyond that, Kasepuhan Gelaralam has a communal house known as imah gede (the big house), where rice and dishes are cooked and provided for anyone to enjoy.
Although Kasepuhan Gelaralam relocates frequently and will continue to practice ngalalakon, the community has remained rooted in the same renewable energy source for the past 29 years. Gelaralam has consistently relied on a Micro-Hydropower Plant (PLTMh) since 1997. Faced with the government’s inability to supply electricity at the time, Kasepuhan Gelaralam transformed this limitation into a step forward by adopting community-based renewable energy.
Grounded in strong values of collectivity and solidarity, Kasepuhan Gelaralam manages its PLTMh through a community-based system that emphasizes fairness and justice. During Enter Nusantara’s visit, two of the three PLTMh managers, Pak Adut and Pak Kenda, who are responsible for maintenance, repairs, and collecting electricity usage fees, explained that residents are charged based on consumption. The tariff is relatively affordable, at around IDR 4,000 per kWh. Some residents who use electricity only for basic lighting pay as little as IDR 8,000 per month for two light bulbs.
This practices implies that while Kasepuhan Gelaralam continues to uphold traditional customs as part of its culture, it is also able to adopt technology without abandoning its values. In addition to renewable energy, the community uses electricity to provide internet access and even operates its own television channel. Before moving to Gelaralam, Kasepuhan Ciptagelar also ran its own radio station.
To this day, Kasepuhan Gelaralam continues to develop its micro-hydropower system and now operates four PLTMh units. Unfortunately, residents in neighboring villages have begun to abandon PLTMh-generated electricity since the arrival of the national electricity grid (PLN), which they perceive as more stable. Ibu Umi, the indung semar who accompanied Enter Nusantara team during our stay in Kasepuhan Ciptagelar, has also experienced this issue. However, for Ibu Umi, the problem remains manageable.
Although the stability of electricity from PLTMh is still influenced by external factors such as weather conditions and river water levels, Abah Ugi emphasized his commitment to continuing the use of community-based renewable energy. He also expressed openness to support the distribution of surplus electricity from PLTMh to PLN if opportunities for collaboration are available.
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