Jakarta, NU Online
Like a lot of Indonesians, Jakarta natives nurture a strong belief in the supernatural, as seen in the worship of three “sacred” graves that attract dozens of pilgrims seeking answers to their prayers.
The most famous is Luar Batang in Penjaringan, North Jakarta. Located on a 10-hectare plot of land, the site holds a mosque and the grave of Habib Husein Bin Abubakar Alaydrus, an Islamic missionary who arrived at Sunda Kelapa port in Jakarta in 1735. He built a small mosque in the area to use as his base to preach Islam until his death in 1756. />
Like many missionaries, he came from Madhramaut in southern Yemen, and was believed to be a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad.
In 1947, the mosque was torn down to make way for a bigger one, since there were no other mosques in the vicinity, and was later expanded again.
There is a more humble sacred site at Kampung Bandan in Ancol, North Jakarta. Local residents believe there are three Islamic missionaries buried in the 700-square-meter area, one of whom, Habib Abdurrahman, built a small mosque in 1879 next to the graves of his two predecessors to accommodate pilgrims seeking to pray there.
“Both sites were decreed historical sites by then Jakarta Governor Ali Sadikin, who also recognized another grave in Mangga Dua, North Jakarta, as sacred,” said Alwi Shihab, a Betawi historian.
“All were graves of those who helped propagate Islam in Jakarta. People go there by the thousands on special nights such as ‘Jumat Kliwon’, even President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono,” he said.
Jumat Kliwon is the night before the Friday that falls on Kliwon in the Javanese calendar, at which time mystical energy is thought to be at its strongest.
“Luar Batang has been famous for almost three centuries, and Kampung Bandan was popular since the 1940s,” Alwi said.
“It’s not so with the Mbah Priok grave,” he added as quoted by the Jakarta Globe.
The myths surrounding the Luar Batang grave have endured since the Dutch colonial era. Legend has it the authorities unsuccessfully attempted to relocate the grave three times.
The Kampung Bandan grave has also not been a stranger to mystical events. In 1994, an overpass was planned that would have cut through the area, but when the construction pillars were erected, they collapsed, killing several workers.
In 2001, a fire that swept through the area razed several homes to the ground but left the grave site unscathed. (dar)
Like a lot of Indonesians, Jakarta natives nurture a strong belief in the supernatural, as seen in the worship of three “sacred” graves that attract dozens of pilgrims seeking answers to their prayers.
The most famous is Luar Batang in Penjaringan, North Jakarta. Located on a 10-hectare plot of land, the site holds a mosque and the grave of Habib Husein Bin Abubakar Alaydrus, an Islamic missionary who arrived at Sunda Kelapa port in Jakarta in 1735. He built a small mosque in the area to use as his base to preach Islam until his death in 1756.
Like many missionaries, he came from Madhramaut in southern Yemen, and was believed to be a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad.
In 1947, the mosque was torn down to make way for a bigger one, since there were no other mosques in the vicinity, and was later expanded again.
There is a more humble sacred site at Kampung Bandan in Ancol, North Jakarta. Local residents believe there are three Islamic missionaries buried in the 700-square-meter area, one of whom, Habib Abdurrahman, built a small mosque in 1879 next to the graves of his two predecessors to accommodate pilgrims seeking to pray there.
“Both sites were decreed historical sites by then Jakarta Governor Ali Sadikin, who also recognized another grave in Mangga Dua, North Jakarta, as sacred,” said Alwi Shihab, a Betawi historian.
“All were graves of those who helped propagate Islam in Jakarta. People go there by the thousands on special nights such as ‘Jumat Kliwon’, even President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono,” he said.
Jumat Kliwon is the night before the Friday that falls on Kliwon in the Javanese calendar, at which time mystical energy is thought to be at its strongest.
“Luar Batang has been famous for almost three centuries, and Kampung Bandan was popular since the 1940s,” Alwi said.
“It’s not so with the Mbah Priok grave,” he added as quoted by the Jakarta Globe.
The myths surrounding the Luar Batang grave have endured since the Dutch colonial era. Legend has it the authorities unsuccessfully attempted to relocate the grave three times.
The Kampung Bandan grave has also not been a stranger to mystical events. In 1994, an overpass was planned that would have cut through the area, but when the construction pillars were erected, they collapsed, killing several workers.
In 2001, a fire that swept through the area razed several homes to the ground but left the grave site unscathed. (dar)
