Jostling for divine blessing at Ganjuran Temple
Jostling for divine blessing at Ganjuran Temple
By Tarko Sudiarno
YOGYAKARTA (JP): "Ladies and gentlemen, please do not touch
the gunungan (giant cones of food and flowers) until the mass is
over," the announcement came from the loudspeakers.
But the announcement went unheeded and thousands of people
jostled their way to grab a portion of the food cone at a
ceremony at the Temple of Jesus' Sacred Heart at the back of
Ganjuran Catholic Church, Bantul, just south of Yogyakarta.
People of all ages fought their way for every little bit of
the four gunungan located at the temple's altar. There were not
only Javanese present but also Chinese Indonesians from other
cities.
The four gunungan were finished in just five minutes. People
snatched not only the food, but anything that was part of the
cones.
"I am happy I got a stalk of rice," said a woman from Jakarta,
while wiping sweat from her face. "I will display it at my shop."
Like the rest of the congregation, she believes everything in
the cones will bring luck, such as good fortune, good health and
happiness, because they had received God's blessings.
"I will make sambal with this chili so that hopefully it will
heal all my ailments," said Theresia from Surabaya, who was
holding a rather forlorn-looking chili.
All this was part of the annual sacrament procession at the
temple, held this year on Sunday, June 24. The mass, conducted
according to Javanese tradition, takes place every year on the
last Sunday of June.
The scramble for part of the gunungan is reminiscent of the
Garebeg court ceremony at Yogyakarta Palace. The gunungan are two
gunungan wadon (female cones) and two gunungan lanang (male
cones).
In Javanese cosmology, gunungan symbolizes prosperity and
peacefulness. While "male" and "female" gunungan represent
fertility, man-woman relations and humankind-God relations. So
people believe that the gunungan are not mere offerings but
symbols of God's blessing for humankind.
The ceremony began with a mass, which is full of Javanese
cultural symbols; the priest wore a surjan shirt instead of the
usual robe; it was accompanied by live gamelan music; the songs
and prayers are in the Javanese language.
The rite ended with congregation members jostling for part of
the gunungan.
The 20-meter tall temple was built 77 years ago. Inside the
stone temple is a statue of Jesus Christ dressed like a Javanese
king.
The temple is also popular among Javanese mystic believers. On
the Tuesday evening Kliwon and Friday Kliwon in the Javanese
calendar, the place is crowded with people seeking luck and good
fortune through prayers.