Tabot Bengkulu

Bengkulu city is one of the cities, as well as the capital of the province of Bengkulu, Indonesia. Previous this region was under the influence Inderapura kingdom and sultanate of Banten. Then ruled England before being handed over to the Dutch. The city is also home to the Bung Karno exile during the year 1939 - 1942 in the reign of the Dutch East Indies. Bengkulu city has a total area of 151.7 km² [2] with a population of 319 098 people consisting of 160 293 men and 158 805 women in 2013.

In the early 17th century, the area was under the influence of Bengkulu, Banten kingdom and ruler of the Minangkabau. The arrival of Europeans to the islands of Indonesia are caused by the desire to obtain spices directly from the source. In some European countries established airline whose goal is to find spices and sold in the European market. The Dutch established the VOC or Verenigde Oost Indie Compagnie or "airline union for the East Indies". The English founded the East India Company or "airline to the East Indies".

One spice that is sought pepper. One area where the pepper grows is the southern part of the island of Sumatra. 1633 VOC established trading posts in Bengkulu. Then VOC expel the British from Banten. This forced the East India Company, who still want to be involved in the pepper trade, establishing in 1685 a post in Bengkulu, "Bencoolen" in English, with the aim of searching for pepper. To protect this post, the British sent a small force. To accommodate these forces built a fort, Fort Marlborough.

in addition, there is a tradition in the city of Bengkulu conducted annually. This tradition held to commemorate the death of Hasan Husen. This tradition is called tabot. At first the core of the ceremony is to commemorate the efforts Tabot Shi'a leader and his people collecting body parts Hussein, parading and memakamnya in Padang Karbala. The term is derived from the Arabic word Tabot Ark which literally means "wooden box" or "crate".

In the Koran the word Tabot known as a casket containing the Torah. Children of Israel at the time believed that they would get a favor when Tabot emerged and are in the hands of their leaders. Instead they will get a disaster when it was gone.

  Tabot was held on December 1 -10 sacred. On the 1st sacred procession of the land take tabot itself. mengambik the ground remind man of the origin of creation. Second, despite the view that contains elements of ritual tabot deviation in creed, such as the use of mantras and sacred verses in the procession mengambik ground, but the essence is to make us aware that diversity can not be separated from the values of the local culture. And third, the ceremony is a celebration for menyambutan Tabot Islamic new year.