Javanese sacred places

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Javanese Sacred Places

Places on the Island of Java, Indonesia that have significance from either village level through to national level as sacred, and in most cases deserve visitation - usually within the context of ziarah regardless of the ethnicity or religion of the visitor. The dominant form for many places is a grave, or a place associated with persons considered to have special attributes in the past - like Wali Sanga or Royalty.

Contents

[edit] Form

The tendency has been for graves to equate to sacred places, but the full range can include (and this list is not exhaustive)

  • Caves (Goa or Gua)
  • Trees, or a group of trees (Pohon or Hutan)
  • Springs
  • Rock Outcrops
  • Remains of old buildings/structures
  • Man made fixed structures - buildings, and ruins
  • Kraton structures are considered sacred
  • Places of rest of Islamic saints or legendary characters

In some areas in Java, the tell-tale sign that a place has been ascribed sacred or special, is either traces of burnt incense (kemenyan) or flower petals.

[edit] Terminology

Common expressions in Javanese and Indonesian for these places are -

  • Pundhen short for pepundhen
  • Tempat Keramat
  • Tempat Ziarah

Other terms that might be used

  • petilasan - traces - of ancestors.

Although there is no necessary set pattern, and each individuals pilgrimage is a very personal one, even if travelling with a group - there can be a roughly three tiered hierarchy of Javanese Sacred Places.

[edit] National

The graves of national and regional heroes and significant people - either of distant historic nature (the graves of the Wali Sanga or Islamic Saints of Java), or of more recent dates - national heroes of the last 100 years or so, and leaders and 'special people'.

Some examples:

[edit] Regional

The graves and sites related to regionally significant figures who might be ethnically or regionally specific, rather than of national significance.

  • Graves of local officials

[edit] Local

The graves relating specifically to an individual - one's parents graves, or grandparents graves. Also sites within the localities of one's birth, or the graves of ones parents.

Natural sites - such as Trees, rock outcrops and springs carry significant folklore, some of which is collected and publised.


[edit] The Networks

Considering the population of Java, and the potential to have a wide variation of the significances and networks of places that might be important to an individual, it is possible to think of Java as having a vast network of places that are situated within a complex array of visitations at the time of Idul Fitri that sees roads blocked by eager pilgrims clogging the transport networks of Java.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

Roxas-Lim, A (1983) Caves and Bathing places as evidence of cultural accommodation Asian Studies (Manila) 21. pp.107-144

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