ETHNOASTRONOMY STUDY: PRANATA MANGSA CALENDAR IN BOROBUDUR DISTRICT, MAGELANG REGENCY

• Main Author: Nur Aini, Siti
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Subjects: Geologi, hidrologi & meteorologi
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/80772
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Ethnoastronomy is a multidisciplinary study of astronomy that studies astronomical phenomena related to culture and tradition. Indonesia is a country that has a wide variety of cultures and traditions and is divided into various ethnic groups, including the Javanese. Ethnoastronomy research in Indonesia is usually carried out in traditional villages, but this research was conducted in the Sub-District of Borobudur, where culture and traditions are mixed with many foreign cultures, and the area is a well-known as a tourist spot. Borobudur sub-district has extensive rice fields, so most of the people work as farmers. In agricultural activities, ancient Javanese farmers used the Pranata Mangsa Calendar as a tool for calculating planting time. In this final project, the author discusses about the Pranata Mangsa Calendar which is related to natural signs, one of which is the appearance of celestial objects, such as the Orion constellation which is used as the initial reference for mangsa. The author also discusses about the relation between agricultural Borobudur and the Pranata Mangsa calendar about whether the Pranata Mangsa Calendar can still be used by Borobudur farmers. The research methods are interviews, literature studies, and the Stellarium which is used to measure the height of the Orion constellation. The results obtained are the height of the Orion constellation has changed between the present and past, then Borobudur people was no longer uses the Pranata Mangsa calendar and tends to use rain as a sign for their agricultural activities.