Betawi Traditional Games

The Game of Tumbuk Batu

The Betawi game of tumbuk batu (pounding stone) or some call it tumbuk uang is almost the same as the game of cublak-cublak suweng from Central Java. This game is generally played by girls aged 6 to 9 years. The name tumbuk batu is originated from the activities of women pounding rice.

The game begins by making a lottery using the bungselan (bundle) method. From several leaves, one of the ends is bundled (tied). Then they are grasped and one by one the children chose the leaves. Whoever gets a leaf with a knotted end must be the first guard/ player.
The player who is on guard turns his body down, like a person who is prostrating and her head is not allowed to look left and right. The other players place their palms on the back of the prostrating child. One of them holds a stone that is rotated over the palms of the other players while singing, the lyrics are as follows:

Sibrak-sibarak uang.

Uangnya ambu titi ambu tata.

Jenggal jenggul.

Te ... te ... gate.

Cap gule cap manisan.

Dahar eee te' dar manisan.

Tembutu-tembutu ...

Tembutu-tembutu ...

Tembutu-tembutu ...

Celata celutu.

Sale sale pegang batu

Di depan pintu.
 
There is also another version with a difference in the first stanza:

Tumbuk-tumbuk uang….

Uangnya ami arum ...

Rum selilitum

Sembayang tepekang ...

Buka satu dari bawah ...

As the first verse of the song ends, a rock will fall into one of the palms of a child's hand. Then they sing the next verse with holding hands as if holding a stone. "Tembutu-tembutu .... " shouted the players after the stone was hidden.

The child in charge will get up from sitting and guess who is holding the stone while singing the 4th stanza, "celata-celutu ...". If her guess is wrong then she must guard again. But if she can guess, the child holding the stone turns guard.

Bujaka - Aplikasi Budaya Jakarta

DINAS KEBUDAYAAN PROVINSI DKI JAKARTA
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Kelurahan Kuningan Timur, Kecamatan Setiabudi
Jakarta Selatan
DKI Jakarta, 12950
(021) 252-3164
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