Acehnese visit mass graves, pray for the dead ahead of Ramadhan

Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

The ritual of visiting graveyards before the start of Ramadhan, which starts on Wednesday, brings back memories of the devastating tsunami for the Acehnese.

For tsunami victims who lost many relatives in the disaster, it means they have to visit several mass graves, such as the grave sites in Banda Aceh and Aceh Besar regencies, to offer prayers.

Salmiah went to a mass grave in Lambaro area, Aceh Besar regency. "I lost three of my children. I'm sure that the mass grave in Lambaro is where they were buried," the resident of Taman Sari area in Banda Aceh told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

The 55-year-old woman said that she searched for her three children as soon as the disaster was over, hoping to be able to bury their remains in the family cemetery. But she could not find them. "I can only leave it in the hands of God," Salmiah said.

Several families of the tsunami victims claimed that the spirit of their loved ones "came back" to let their families know where their remains were. The families then went to pray at the locations indicated by the spirits.

Still, there were those who were not sure where to pray for their lost relatives, requiring them to visit several grave sites.

May, 33, just came back from visiting several mass graves to pray for her missing relatives.

"Until now I don't know where my relatives were buried so I went to several mass graves to pray for them," said the resident of Lambada Permai in Aceh Besar.

Although it is not obligatory for Muslims to visit graveyards prior to the fasting month, many practice the traditional ritual that has been passed down from generation to generation.

According to Javanese tradition, the dead need the prayers of the living to obtain God's blessings and forgiveness for their wrongdoings.

As Ramadhan nears, both May and Salmiah felt the sorrow of losing many of their relatives in the disaster.

"It's really sad that we are not even sure where they were buried," May said.

Apart from relatives of the tsunami victims, the mass graves were also visited by others who came on motorcycles or pickup trucks to recite prayers for the dead.