INFOKU, BLORA – Even though we are in a modern era, the tradition of washing heirlooms during the month of Suro is still maintained by some people.
In Blora Regency, one of the actors who consistently preserves this tradition is Mulyono.
The Blora native claims to have been providing heirloom cleansing services for 24 years. Every Suro month, he opens the service in the former Blora Station area.
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"I have been providing bathing services at Blora Station since 2002," said Mbah Mulyono, as he is familiarly known.
According to him, previously there were two people who opened similar services at that location.
But now, he's the only one who remains. Customers aren't just from Blora; they also come from surrounding areas like Purwodadi, Rembang, Pati, and even Bojonegoro.
Every month in Suro, at least 40 people come to enshrine their heirlooms.
Mbah Mulyono charges around Rp 30,000 for a single massage. This rate is targeted at the lower-middle class.
"I'm targeting the lower-middle class. Many farmers have heirlooms. It would be a shame to not take care of them," he said.
In the cleansing process, Mbah Mulyono uses a number of traditional ingredients, including lime juice and warangan water.
Warangan is a stone-like material that will dissolve when mixed with water.
According to him, the change in the color of the water during the cleansing process can indicate the condition of the heirloom's pamor.
The blacker the color of the water that appears, the more visible the character of the heirloom's pamor is.
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Before offering his cleansing service, Mbah Mulyono admitted to undergoing asceticism first. This was done as a precaution, as the heirloom is sharp.
"However, the heirloom is sharp and could injure me," he concluded. (Endah/ IST )
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