Sakralitas Simbol Batang Garing Dalam Perspektif Numinous Rudolf Otto Pada Masyarakat Dayak Kaharingan di Palangka Raya

Abstract

Batang Garing is a sacred symbol in the Hindu Kaharingan tradition that not only represents the cosmology of the Dayak Ngaju people but also serves as the basis for the formation of spirituality, cultural identity, and human relations with nature. Amidst the current of modernization, the meaning of this symbol is increasingly important to understand as part of the preservation of religious values ​​and local wisdom. This study aims to examine the symbolic meaning of Batang Garing as a sacred symbol in the religious life of the Hindu Kaharingan community in Palangka Raya. The study used a qualitative method with a sociology of religion approach to analyze the relationship between cultural symbols, ritual practices, and religious experiences of the Dayak Ngaju community. Data were obtained through in-depth interviews, participatory observation, and documentation of traditional leaders, ritual leaders, and members of the Kaharingan community. The results show that Batang Garing represents the cosmological relationship between humans, the universe, and Ranying Hatala Langit and serves as the foundation of spirituality, collective identity, and ecological ethics of the Dayak Ngaju community. Each structural element of Batang Garing contains theological, ecological, and social meanings that support each other, namely the Hornbill at the top as a representation of a divine messenger, the branch with six fruits that symbolizes vertical responsibility to Ranying Hatala Langit as well as horizontal responsibility to fellow humans and nature, and the holy water jar at the bottom as a symbol of the source of grace that flows to all layers of life. This finding confirms that Batang Garing not only functions as a religious symbol but also as a medium for forming religious experiences and strengthening social cohesion of the Dayak Ngaju community.