Gunung Pareang

The Kasepuhan Jamrut originally comes from Kasepuhan Cicariang, which is currently led by a village elder named Olot Sadromi. Leadership in this kasepuhan is passed down through generations. Until 2024, Kasepuhan Jamrut is led by Olot Mastura. In the customary system, there is a term Kasepuhan Rendangan, which refers to the villages that are under the scope or influence of a parent kasepuhan. Kasepuhan Jamrut serves as the parent kasepuhan, while the rendangan villages under it do not stand alone, but remain bound by custom to their parent kasepuhan, especially in carrying out traditions and reporting agricultural results.

One important tradition is the balik tahun activity, which is a procession to report that the series of rice planting has been completed to the leaders of the parent kasepuhan. In addition, this activity also serves as a moment to visit family or parents based on lineage (sabondoroyot), and to ask for forgiveness if there were any discrepancies in the implementation of rice planting according to customary practices. On this balik tahun occasion, the community also reports on the population count, number of livestock, and provides a seren-taun contribution. However, in Kasepuhan Jamrut, this contribution is not mandatory for the rendangan regions.

This balik tahun tradition continues to be practiced every year in Kasepuhan Jamrut, including by the villages of Citirim, Cikareo, and Parung Gedong, which are part of the rendangan area of Kasepuhan Jamrut.

Gunung Pareang is a mountain often traversed by the Baduy Tribe; Pareang is divided into two areas, the South including the Kasepuhan Jamrut area, while the North belongs to the Baduy tribe. Pareang is part of the leuweung kolot. According to the community, leuweung means forest, and kolot means old. This means an old forest, a jungle, dominated by hardwood trees such as rasamala and puspa that grow naturally (not planted by the community). Leuweung kolot can have its wood utilized in a limited manner for personal, non-commercial purposes (not for sale).

The Indigenous Community of Kasepuhan Jamrut interacts with nature through agricultural activities carried out in rice fields close to residential areas and near the entrusted forest. They have a belief to perform seven rituals known as “rukun tani” that must be carried out. The seven rituals are:

Asep Leuweung: a gathering event (at night) led by abah olot at home, making tumpeng, village chicken eggs (rooster), bitter and sweet black coffee, rujak selasih, rujak asem, and other rujak. Olot asks permission from the ancestors and Gusti Allah for safety, to reopen the agricultural season, and to request abundant harvests.

Nibakeun: determining the date for seed scattering (seeds planted in a rice box called pasebaran until they become large rice. for 40-45 days until they become large rice).

Ngubaran Pare: a ritual when the rice does not grow. The ritual is performed at night at abah olot's residence. The requirement for the ritual is to use rujak 7 rupa; during the ritual, the history of the Prophet Muhammad SAW and sulamjana (causes of crop failure) are recited. The rujak is placed in a container, then the water and rujak are mixed using a cup, and then the water is taken and poured over the rice.

Mapag Pare Beukah: a ritual performed when the rice is about to burst, making pasung from rice flour, rujak-rujakan, etc. The ritual is performed at night at abah olot's residence, and the content of the ritual includes abah olot reciting the history of the prophet, sulamjana (causes of crop failure), and the story/biography of Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jailani. The pasung that has been made is placed on a stick inserted at the edge of the rice field.

Beberes Mipit: a ritual before harvesting, similar to the previous ritual but the readings used are the history of the Prophet Muhammad SAW, Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jailani, and wawacan.

Ngayaran: a ritual when the harvest is ready, this ritual is used when the rice taken from the leuit will be brought home for consumption. Before ngayaran, rice is prohibited from being consumed by the community, except for rice that was not harvested that year.

Seren Taun: A customary ritual for thanksgiving for the harvest, usually performed between the hajj month, asking for fertility and prosperity for the upcoming harvest.

The Indigenous Community of Kasepuhan Jamrut has contributed to the preservation of forest ecosystems and biodiversity through the values they uphold from their ancestors. With a set of rules and rituals they possess, the biodiversity present in Jamrut will be ensured its existence. Some of the biodiversity found in Jamrut includes:

Fauna

• Mammals: Wild boar, barking deer, deer, monkeys, surili, and otters,
• Birds: Walik, cucak kutilang, and owls.
• Snakes: Ground snakes, Javanese cobras, pythons, picung snakes, maung snakes, oray bedul, welang, weling, pucuk snakes, and tree vipers.

Flora

• Hardwoods: Rasamala, kiara, puspa, pasang, saninten, laban, palahlar, agarwood, kibangkong, ki rotan, ki awi, pine, ki hanjuang, ki leungsir, kayang, panglar, mahogany, tenjo, huru batu, ki besi, rengas, ki sereh, julang, ki padali, ki paray, ki ceuri, ki hiur, ki dego, ki kasur, maja, lambe, ki teureup, ki carogol, kopi dengkung, ki kokosan monyet, leles, ki hujan, kondang.
• Rattan: Cacing, bubuay, sampang, rotan dawuh, seel, hoe leuleus, kesur, peuteuy, ceker kidang, hoe.
• Medicinal plants: bubuay, ki pari, canker sores, cangkore, terestulang, root of areuy kiheulang, kileho, kawao, tangkur, kilampahan, pulus, sulangkar, babadotan, nangsi, carulang, ki ajag, and ki anyar.
• Fruits: menteng, cherries, saninten, kokosan monyet, carogol, kopi dengkung, and kokosan.

The Indigenous Community of Kasepuhan Jamrut has regulations for planting rice seeds as part of their traditions and customary systems. These regulations often stem from spiritual beliefs and local wisdom. Thus, the Indigenous Community of Kasepuhan Jamrut has contributed to the sustainable management of natural resources based on local knowledge; regulations regarding rice seed planting, for example, can be related to practices that maintain soil fertility, ensure that agricultural land does not suffer damage, improve food security, and reduce the risk of crop failure. In addition, evidence that the Indigenous Community of Kasepuhan Jamrut has contributed to the preservation of natural resources is that they hold values regarding the management of leuweung titipan, leuweung tutupan, and leuweung kolot to be well-managed to sustain life and provide a livelihood for future generations to benefit from natural resources.

In managing the Gunung Cibotol area, the Indigenous Community of Kasepuhan Jamrut only has customary regulations that are passed down orally. The Indigenous Community of Kasepuhan Jamrut also does not yet have a legal basis that protects the subjects or the customary area/managed area that is protected by the Indigenous Community of Kasepuhan Jamrut. Until now, a legal basis has only been obtained that regulates the Recognition, Protection, and Empowerment of the Indigenous Law Community of Kasepuhan through Regional Regulation of Lebak Regency Number 8 of 2015.