UNIPMA – Students of the Indonesian Language Group 3 in the Teacher Professional Education (PPG) Program for Prospective Teachers at Universitas PGRI Madiun (UNIPMA) have initiated a leadership project to compile a book on the history and philosophy of Dongkrek art. This initiative aims to document Madiun’s local wisdom so that it will not be eroded by the passage of time.

This cultural preservation and literacy enhancement project is supervised by lecturer Dr. Dwi Rohman Soleh, S.S., M.Pd., and led by student U'ut Dhelli Murti. In an interview with U'ut Dhelli Murti, she explained that the idea stemmed from the importance of documenting the oral traditions of Dongkrek, which have so far been scarcely recorded in written form.

“Dongkrek is a traditional art form unique to Madiun that combines dance, music, and rituals to ward off misfortune. However, much of the knowledge about this art form still comes from the oral accounts of community elders,” she said on Thursday (October 8).

To collect empirical data, the team conducted observations, obtained permissions, and carried out in-depth interviews with Sudarsono, an elder and member of the “Krido Sakti” Dongkrek Association in Mejayan District, Madiun, on Wednesday (August 12).

The book compiles the history of Dongkrek and provides an in-depth examination of the philosophy behind its characters, including Eyang Palang as a figure who wards off misfortune, Roro Ayu and Roro Perot as symbols of vulnerable people under threat, and Genderuwo as a figure associated with the spread of disease.

Beyond documenting historical narratives, the work is also designed to be officially registered with an International Standard Book Number (ISBN) and protected under Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), enabling it to be used as ethnopedagogy-based teaching material in schools.

“We hope that the history of Dongkrek will be officially documented and passed down across generations. We want students and the people of Madiun to become more familiar with and proud of their own cultural heritage,” she added.

U'ut Dhelli Murti further explained that the book will later be distributed to regional libraries in both Madiun City and Madiun Regency. This cultural documentation initiative represents an implementation of UNIPMA’s Three Pillars of Higher Education (Tri Dharma Perguruan Tinggi) and is expected to serve as a model for preserving local wisdom in other regions.