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jemaatkhana

Titik Nol 130: Air Mata Pengantin

Rombongan barat tiba di rumah pengantin perempuan (AGUSTINUS WIBOWO) Baru pertama kali saya menyaksikan pesta pernikahan seperti ini – sang pengantin perempuan menangis keras, meraung-raung seperti orang yang ditinggal mati keluarganya. Hassanabad, rumah sang pengantin perempuan, letaknya hanya empat kilometer dari Karimabad. Tetapi rombongan barat kami diangkut dalam iring-iringan belasan jip. Bersama kami, ikut seorang khalifa, penghulu umat Ismaili. Acara akad nikah dilangsungkan di jemaatkhana di dekat rumah pengantin wanita, demikian adatnya. Kalau zaman dulu barat selalu menampilkan seorang pangeran tampan berjubah yang duduk dengan gagah di atas kuda putih, sekarang sang pangeran naik jip butut yang tak kalah tangguhnya menyusuri lereng perbukitan di barisan pegunungan raksasa. Apalagi sekarang dingin tak terkira menembus mantel dan jaket. Hassanabad terletak di lereng bukit terjal. Karena jip kami sudah terengah-engah, rombongan bharat kami harus mendaki gunung dengan berjalan kaki. Acara akad nikah tertutup bagi orang luar. Hanya famili dekat kedua mempelai, plus khalifa dan muki (imamnya orang Ismaili) yang boleh masuk ke jemaatkhana. Rombongan 50 orang barati, termasuk saya, menunggu dengan sabar di rumah mempelai wanita. Sekitar setengah jam berselang, iring-iringan pengantin pria dan kerabatnya datang. Mereka bersiap masuk ke rumah pengantin perempuan. Beberapa orang perempuan menunggu di depan pintu, membawa sebuah nampan berisi [...]

February 20, 2015 // 1 Comment

Titik Nol 117: Melek Huruf

Di sini semua orang bisa baca tulis Penderitaan di Karimabad yang membeku tidaklah sia-sia. Di sinilah Al menemukan jati dirinya yang selama ini ia cari. Di sinilah ia menemukan komunitas saudara-saudari seiman. Al tak jadi pindah pemondokan. Semua pemondokan sama dinginnya, bahkan Hunza Darbar yang tarifnya 40 dolar per malam itu pun tak punya listrik dan pemanas. Tak ada pesawat ke Islamabad, karena cuaca buruk di musim dingin di daerah yang diapit gunung-gunung bertudung salju sungguh berbahaya bagi penerbangan. Daripada berdiam diri di Karimabad, kami turun ke desa di kaki bukit. Namanya Ganesh, entah kenapa mirip nama dewa Hindu. Kalau di Karimabad penduduknya semua Ismaili, hanya beberapa ratus meter saja di desa Ganesh ini penduduknya penganut Syiah. Kakek Haider sebenarnya adalah penganut Syiah, tetapi Al terlanjur menganggapnya sebagai pemeluk Ismaili dan masih terpesona dalam kegembiraan hidup bersama komunitas orang-orang seiman. Biarlah, biar Al hidup dalam euforianya. Dari Ganesh, kami naik kendaraan Suzuki sampai ke desa berikutnya, Aliabad. Di Pakistan, orang biasa menyebut kendaraan umum menurut merknya. Yang dimaksud Suzuki adalah mobil pickup ukuran kecil. Bagian belakangnya dikasih terpal, untuk tempat duduk penumpang. Kalau tidak cukup, penumpang pria sampai duduk di atap atau berdiri di luar, bergelantungan pada besi bak belakang. [...]

February 3, 2015 // 0 Comments

Vrang – Life in Vrang

Green, peaceful, and lazy … Vrang Travelling in Tajikistan side of the Wakhan Corridor was as difficult as in Afghanistan side. Public transport was rare, the oil price got higher as the altitude got higher. It was 3.50 Somoni per liter of petrol here. No one was sure when the coming transport would come. And even when it came, it was often full, no space to share. It was indeed luck to be able to travel according to what one has planned. I was patient enough even though I worried about my short visa. Dr Akhmed was a doctor in Tughoz. I was waiting for transport to Vrang, 5 km away from tughoz, in his hospital. As the main doctor in this village, he earned only 50 Somoni per month. You would go nowhere with that amount of money in Tajikistan. But everybody was optimistic with his life. Working with little income was still better rather than begging on the streets. I have heard beggars in Jakarta could earn at least 60 dollars per month, about 280 Somoni, or 4 times higher than Dr Akhmed’s income. You need a lot of money and bunch of patience to travel in Tajikistan. [...]

October 25, 2006 // 0 Comments

Karimabad – Wedding

Prepared to bring the bride home Being delayed is not always bad. The road to Pindi has been blocked for more than a week now, and I am still in Karimabad. I have heard the rumours that Mr. Karim’s brother was going to marry. So 2 days ago I visited him. Mr Karim was busy, preparing for the feasts and everything. He offered me sharbat (the traditional food for 2 days before marriage, made from flour) but I felt he tried to send me home politely as he couldnt entertain me due to his business. From him, I learnt about the tradition of the wedding in Hunza. The ‘nikah’ will be held in bride’s side, in the nearest jamaat khana from the bride’s house. For this, the bride side invited 40 people from the groom side. These 40 people, mostly relatives, were carefully selected and counted. As we might know, the families in Pakistan are all big, that 40 is a very limited number. It seems that the culture is quite closed for outsiders, that I probably might not be able to join the whole procession. As he was busy in this sunny bright day, I went together with him [...]

January 21, 2006 // 1 Comment