Pemecutan, a symbol of religious tolerance

Pemecutan, a symbol of religious tolerance

By Alpha Savitri

The grave of Anak Agung Sagung Sayu Rai in Denpasar is called
Pemecutan Grand Sacred Temple. It is here that Islamic and Hindu
cultures peacefully blend.

DENPASAR, Bali (JP): This 1,089-square-meter plot in Badung
Cemetery, which is adjacent to Tegal Terminal, Denpasar, is
special to archaeologists and sociologists.

Two cultures live in peaceful coexistence, as is evident from
the characteristics of the building -- a blend of Hindu and Islam
-- and visitors to the grave include Balinese Hindu and Muslims.

Here you will sometimes see Muslims praying in a large open
structure near the grave and Hindus praying in their own way
beside the grave of Anak Agung Sagung Sayu Rai, taking with them
a canangsari of flowers. They show great tolerance to each other.

Former graveyard caretaker Mangku Canang said that visitors
came here to make wishes. "But only good wishes will be granted.
It is not the place where you can make a wish to bring harm to
other people," said the lady, who is aged about 60.

The grave is located in the backyard. To get to the grave, you
must go through a gate connecting the street and the front yard.
The gate is a unique structure in that it is terraced in the
style of Hindu architecture but has a dome, a reflection of
Islamic culture.

On your way to the grave, you go through a gate between the
front and back yards. The gate lends prominence to Islamic
culture through a picture of a crescent moon and a star on the
wall above the gate. Upon entering the plot of land there is a
tall tree to welcome you and where you will see offerings.

When you get to the backyard, the grave on your right. In the
center of the yard, you will see trees with thick foliage. On
your right is the open structure. As is the case with graves
considered sacred, this grave is in a raised building.

To get close to the grave, you must climb a number of steps
and walk past another gate set in a fence. On either side of the
fence there is a Balinese-style umbrella. Except for the yellow
fence, white is the only color you can see for the floor, the
walls and the gravestone.

Wrapped Balinese-style in poleng (a black and white checkered
cloth), a large tree grows at the head of the grave, its trunk
penetrating the building's roof. The gravestone lies in a roofed
building, but right above it is another roof, from which white
mosquito netting hangs, making the grave resemble a bed.

Close to the gravestone, there is a box for donations and a
table holding a number of Koran. These holy books are old and
faded, obviously from frequent use. On the rear wall is an
Islamic calligraphic drawing. Exactly at the base of the grave
there are a number of vessels containing water. Visitors can take
these home as they are believed to be blessed by Siti Khatijah.

The grave is over 100 years old and its history is fraught
with tragedy. There are a number of stories about the grave. The
story generally believed to be true is that Anak Agung Sagung
Sayu Rai was the daughter of King Anglurah III of Pemecutan. When
she was still a maiden, she became ill and was confined to bed.
Nobody could cure her. One day, a Madurese man of nobility, Raden
Sasraningrat, came and cured her. Sasraningrat and the princess
fell in love and the king approved of their marriage.

The princess converted to Islam and was called Siti Khatijah.
She went to Madura with her husband. Several months after she
gave birth to their first child, a son, she paid a visit to
Pemecutan Temple in her hometown. As she was then a Muslim, she
performed the Islamic evening prayer and wore her mukenah (white
prayer outfit for women). The kingdom's chief minister saw this
and thought she was practicing leak (Balinese black magic).
Without much ado, he dragged the princess until they reached the
present grave site. He wanted to kill her with his knife; he
could not because his knife would not penetrate her skin.

With the chief minister in a state of utter despair, the
princess remove a hairpin from her hair and said, "Thrust this
into my throat and I'll die." The chief minister took the hairpin
and thrust it into her throat. The princess fell down and died.
She was buried in the Islamic way.

Nobody knows why a tree grew at the head of the grave. Nobody
now knows what type of tree this is. Outwardly it looks like a
ylang-ylang tree and is said to be the incarnation of the
princess' beautiful black hair.

Visiting this site you can see very clearly that the Islamic
and Hindu cultures live in peaceful coexistence. The grave, just
like any other Islamic grave, extends from north to south and
bears no name.

You can also see an element of pre-Islam culture. The grave
has a gravestone and a protective structure often called cangkup.
Another Hindu element is noticeable from the fact that the grave
is in a raised building just like a terraced sacred place.

The ancient community believed that a terraced sacred place
was the symbol of the universe. When someone dies, his soul lives
in another world, reunited with other rulers; the soul will dwell
on a mountaintop, on a tree-top, up in the sky, etc.

The netting and the wall symbolize a deep respect for the
kindhearted princess. In the tradition of the pre-Islamic
community, there was the practice of worshiping ancestors' souls.

This graveyard is crowded during Islamic and Hindu holy days.
"Visitors from Java usually come in groups by bus," said Mangku
Canang.