Javanese sacred places

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.

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 Javanese 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.

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.

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:

The graves of the Wali, Sunan Kalijaga
The grave of Sultan Agung at Imogiri
The grave of Sukarno in Blitar
National Heroes cemetery in Kalibata, Jakarta
Borobudur
Prambanan

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
Graves of local families related to the Palaces, such as Yogyakarta, Surakarta

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 one's parents.

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

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.

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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