Javanese Sacred Places are locations 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.
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The tendency has been for graves to equate to sacred places, but the full range can include (and this list is not exhaustive)
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.
Common expressions in Javanese and Indonesian for these places are:
Other terms that might be used
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.
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:
The graves and sites related to regionally significant figures who might be ethnically or regionally specific, rather than of national significance.
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 one's parents.
Natural sites - such as trees, rock outcrops, and springs carry significant folklore, some of which is collected and published.
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.