Knowledge, blessings sought from statues of Majapahit dynasty

Indra Harsaputra, The Jakarta Post, Mojokerto, East Java

An employee of the Trowulan Statue Preservation Board (BPAT), Joko, was attending to Dutch and Australian tourists interested in the museum's collection of artifacts from the Majapahit dynasty.

Joko's job is to explain to visitors where the pieces came from and what they were used for.

He said that tourists mostly visited the museum on weekends and holidays but a few other people, mostly regulars from academic circles, would come there on weekdays to do research.

"But, there are also visitors who come on weekdays to seek good fortune, usually on specific days of the Javanese calendar, such as Jumat (Friday) Legi or during the month of Suro," said Joko, who has worked at the museum for more than 10 years.

Two men from Kalimantan, for example, performed a ritual in front of the Ganesha statue a few days ago, he said. Ganesha is the child of Shiva and Parvati in Indian mythology.

The Ganesha statue symbolizes an elephant, its trunk signifying knowledge. In the Negarakertagama manuscript, Ganesha is the incarnation of Gajah Mada, an elephant of great wisdom that guarded the Majapahit palace in Mojokerto, which ruled the archipelago between the 13th and 14th centuries.

Word has it that anyone wishing to seek worldly knowledge should present offerings to this statue.

Joko added that it was customary that such rituals were performed at the museum. Prior to being shifted to its new site in Trowulan district, Mojokerto, the previous location of BPAT in Mojoagung district was also used by some people as a place to seek blessings from statues left by the Majapahit kingdom.

The BPAT, formerly known as the Trowulan Historical Museum, is located next to the Mojokerto municipal administration on Jl. Ahmad Yani.

It was built by the first regent of Mojokerto, Kanjeng Adipati Ario Kromojoyo Adinegoro, and a Dutch architect, Henri Maclaine Pont, in 1924. It was originally used to hold several artifacts for study by the Oudheidkundige Vereeneging Majapahit (OVM).

It stood on land leased from the Mojoagung sugar factory and was opened to the public in 1926. It was closed in 1942 when Maclaine was detained by invading Japanese forces.

Later, in 1979, the museum was managed by the East Java Historical Relics Preservation Board. It then moved from Mojoagung to a new location in Trowulan in 1987 and was named the Statue Preservation Board, while the previous museum was used as the office of the East Java Historical Relics Preservation Board.

The regular rituals performed in front of the statues in BPAT may seem unique and bizarre, especially as the place is usually used for study and research.

"I cannot prevent them from doing so because they believe in the rituals. As long as they don't interfere with the museum's activities, I think there's no problem with that," said Joko.

Karlan, who is among those who adhere to aliran kepercayaan -- a term used to refer mystical movements outside the large, generally recognized religions -- often perform rituals at ancient sites of the Majapahit kingdom, for example, Mount Kawi.

Each place devotees believe capable of providing good fortune has its own characteristics. Without naming them specifically, Karlan said that many statues in BPAT were able to shower tremendous blessings on devotees.

"People have not only obtained good fortune, but some kind of solace, similar to performing worship in mosques and churches," he said.

Karlan said that one should first choose the statue according to their intuition. Flowers and incense should then be placed on the statue and mantra recited.

Other locations often patronized by those seeking fortune are the Princess of Campa tomb located about three kilometers from BPAT, and the Troloyo mausoleum in Sentonorejo village, Trowulan.

The Campa Princess tomb is the resting place of a princess of the Majapahit kingdom era who embraced Islam. The Troloyo burial complex holds the tomb of Sayid Jumadi Kubro, a Muslim proselytizer in Java during that period.

The two places are frequented by devotees usually on Jumat Legi or in the month of Suro.

A number of state officials like President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), former presidents Megawati Soekarnoputri and Abdurrahman Wahid, and Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Firman Gani have visited the Troloyo complex.

"Bu Mega and Gus Dur used to come here often. SBY visited during the presidential elections campaign," said caretaker of the complex, Sanusi.