Graveyard business thrives as people pay annual visit

Graveyard business thrives as people pay annual visit

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Graveyards in the city have taken on a festive atmosphere over
the past few days, with temporary stalls erected at cemetery
entrance gates, offering flowers and fragrant water.

Inside the graveyards, dozens of men armed with broomsticks
greet the increasing number of visitors, offering to tidy up the
graves. Some men and women are also available to recite prayers
for the deceased on request.

"I can make about Rp 100,000 per day," said Marni, who offers
a prayer service at the Menteng Pulo graveyard in Central
Jakarta.

Grave cleaners can make Rp 60,000 to Rp 70,000 each.

It is a tradition for Javanese people to visit graveyards
before they start fasting for the holy month of Ramadhan, which
starts next Wednesday.

On Thursday afternoon, dozens of people -- mostly adult women
and elderly men -- were seen praying at the Karet Bivak cemetery
and the Menteng Pulo cemetery, both in Central Jakarta.

"I always visit their graves prior to the fasting month to
offer them my prayers," said Juariah Yusuf, a middle-aged woman
visiting the graves of her husband and daughter at Karet Bivak
cemetery.

The native Jakartan, a retired city administration officer,
told The Jakarta Post that she believed the spirits of her
husband and daughter would be more restful upon hearing her
prayers, and she hoped that she could cope with the fasting month
obligations with their blessing.

Accompanied by her maid, Juariah put flower petals on the
graves.

Another visitor, Mira Duana, told the Post that she always
visited her parents' grave prior to the fasting month for reasons
of tradition.

"I come here mainly to tidy up the graves as well as refresh
my memory of them," said the 34-year-old woman.

In fact, it is not obligatory for Muslims to visit graveyards
prior to the fasting month or at any other time, but many
practice the traditional rituals inherited from their elders.

According to Javanese tradition, the dead need the prayers of
the living to obtain God's blessing and to forgive them their
wrongdoings.

People pray mainly to avoid any disruption to their devotion
to God during the holy month. After the fasting month of Ramadhan
is over or almost over, people will visit graveyards to offer
prayers for the deceased and request the blessing of God for
tranquility, safety and prosperity.

Unlike Muslims in Middle Eastern countries, local Muslims here
-- particularly the Javanese -- perform not only Islamic rituals,
such as praying five times per day, but also spiritual activities
like meditating, burning incense and making offerings to spirits
of ancestors.

The latter are derived from Hindu and Buddhist culture, which
flourished in the country before the arrival of Islam.