Kasepuhan

The Kasepuhan are an ethnic group of about 5300 people. They live in the southern area of the Halimun National Park in the province of West Java, Indonesia. The Halimun National Park is located within the boundaries of the kabupaten Sukabumi, Bogor and South Banten.

According to oral information Kasepuhan live in this area for about 570 years. Around the year 1430 lived the ancestors of the Kasepuhan around Bogor, east of Gunung Halimun. At that time there were also several Pajajaran kingdoms in West Java, for example, in Banten, but also in Bogor. The Pajajaran followed the Hinduism as their main religion, but they combined it with animistic and Sudanese traditions. The Kasepuhan claim that they are genetically related to the Baduy, another traditional group in West Java.

Today the Kasepuhan are under the influence of Islam, but they follow the rules of this religion is not strict. Just like their ancestors, different traditions and religions merge with them in a unique Kasepuhan tradition.

The Kasepuhan live almost economically self-sufficient. They mainly live from agriculture. Agricultural activities can be divided into three groups: Sawah (wet rice cultivation on horizontal fields) Ladang ( Trockreisanbau on slopes ) and kebun (gardens on horizontal fields). About 85 % of the country consists of the Kasepuhan Sawah, 10% from Ladang and 5% from kebun.