Meanings Possessed by Gajah Oling Batik in Seblang Rituals Performed by Osing Tribe in Banyuwangi

Batik was originally used as an adiluhung (or noble) work for the royal palace's clothings and worn during traditional ceremonies or important events such as a wedding, a funeral, or birth and others. However, batik nowadays has no sacred values. Instead, it has become a commodity in a global market, and it results on making batik a profane value for daily needs of the society. Batik cannot be understood using its philosophical meanings and values unless by looking it back at the concept of space and time as it was originally created, to be used for traditional ceremonies and rituals. Seblang is one of the traditional rituals in Banyuwangi district which is still held and consistently uses Gajah Oling batik motif as one of its main devices. The study method used to explore and describe the socio-cultural background of batik used in Seblang ritual is qualitative research, supported by phenomenological theory approaches. Seblang is a ritual held once every year, in two different villages, and performed by an old woman or a girl in Bakungan village and Olehsari village respectively. Gajah Oling batik motif is worn by the performers of Seblang ritual as scarves, long clothes, and udeng(a headband).