Sempidi: Culture and Rice Field Landscape

Sempidi between Banjar and Kelurahan

Two spatial levels are important for Sempidi: Banjar Tengah Sempidi provides the specific local context for several cultural topics; information on agriculture, elevation, and area applies to the Kelurahan Sempidi. Visitors choosing the area as a destination can thus distinguish local cultural references from descriptions of the administrative unit as a whole. This perspective on scale helps ensure that Sempidi is not reduced to a single celebration or landscape feature. It connects specific names and events with the wider surroundings of the Kelurahan.

The Kelurahan Sempidi is a lowland area at an elevation of 500 to 800 meters and covers 3.46 km². Both figures refer to the Kelurahan as a whole, not just Banjar Tengah Sempidi. Elevation and area provide a spatial framework for the description; they should also be distinguished from the more specific local contexts of the cultural topics.

Rice Fields and Cultivation

Rice fields shape the Kelurahan Sempidi. Subak Sempidi and part of the also-active Subak Gaji continue to operate there. Rice and secondary crops are cultivated in the Subak areas; some plots also grow lotus flowers and kembang rampai year-round. Different aspects of agriculture therefore coexist: the cultivation of rice and other crops, as well as flowers grown on selected plots. This distinction makes the character of the agriculture more specific without reducing the entire Kelurahan to a single crop. For travelers who take the surrounding landscape into account when choosing a destination, this agricultural setting is part of Sempidi.

Culture and Music in Sempidi

One specific cultural reference in Banjar Tengah Sempidi is Sekaa Teruna Teruni (STT) Putra Bakti Banjar Tengah. On September 23, 2024, the organization celebrated its 57th anniversary; the celebration included cutting a tumpeng. Together, the date, anniversary, and a named element of the celebration provide a precise historical reference point. The occasion complements the view of the agriculturally shaped Kelurahan with a reference to the local community.

The ensembles can also be distinguished by their affiliations and histories. Sekaa Gambang Rai Jadi is a Gambang ensemble from Banjar Tengah Sempidi. The Gong Suling ensemble Gong Suling Kesuma Sari Sempidi was founded in 1959 at the initiative of Anak Agung Mandor and I Ketut Rempuh; I Ketut Rempuh is also known as Pan Kompyang. Thus, a Gambang ensemble with a specific local connection and a Gong Suling ensemble with its own founding history stand side by side. The year 1959 refers to the ensemble’s founding, while the anniversary of STT Putra Bakti Banjar Tengah refers to a dated occasion in 2024. The two reference points therefore differ both in their timeframe and in whether they concern an ensemble’s founding or an anniversary.

Made Suarna, also known as Jro Mangku Sonteng, is also associated with Banjar Tengah Sempidi. This name adds another person to the cultural references connected with the area.

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