Mangku Leadership in Trekking Practice Rituals: Insights from Local Beliefs of Rural Destination, Indonesia

Ahyar Rosyidi

Authors

Ahyar Rosyidi Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Tarbiyah Nahdlatul Ulama Al-Mahsuni

Keywords:

Mangku Leadership, Trekking, Rituals, Rural Destination

Abstract

This study examines the role of the Mangku in ritual practices associated with trekking Mount Rinjani in Lombok, Indonesia, with a particular focus on local Sasak belief systems and their interaction with contemporary tourism development. Although Mount Rinjani is globally recognised as a geotourism destination, it remains a sacred cultural landscape inhabited by ancestral spirits according to Sasak cosmology. The Mangku serves as a central spiritual authority, leading ritual ceremonies before, during, and after the ascent to ensure spiritual protection, ecological harmony, and adherence to customary norms. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, data were collected through semi-structured interviews, involving Mangku, traditional leaders, local guides, and community members. The findings reveal that the Mangku plays multifunctional roles as spiritual mediator, guardian of customary rules, ecological steward, and transmitter of intergenerational cultural knowledge. However, increasing tourism and modernisation have generated tensions that risk shifting ritual meaning toward cultural commodification, while diminishing the spiritual significance perceived by younger generations and visitors. Despite these challenges, the Mangku continues to serve as a resilient custodian of intangible heritage, preserving cultural values within a rapidly changing tourism landscape. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of spiritual leadership within geotourism contexts and highlights the importance of integrating local belief systems into sustainable tourism planning.

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