Rain fails to dompen Idul Fitri spirit in Jakarta

Rain fails to dompen Idul Fitri spirit in Jakarta

JAKARTA (JP): Millions of city residents marked Idul Fitri
festivities on Tuesday and Wednesday by performing traditional
prayers, visiting others to ask forgiveness and flocking to major
recreation areas to unwind with family and friends despite the
rain.

The capital, famed for its continual bustle, became eerily
quiet on Tuesday morning as Muslims visited mosques and
designated public spaces to say their prayers to mark the end of
the Ramadhan fasting month.

Only a handful of vehicles ventured onto the streets.
Destinations could be reached in a matter of minutes, compared to
long journeys in the usual traffic jams clogging local roads.

Overcast skies seemed in keeping with the solemn occasion and
the messages for peace and harmony voiced by preachers.

Activities picked up later in the day as people left their
homes to visit neighbors, relatives and close friends in
traditional Idul Fitri greetings of asking forgiveness for any
past wrongs.

On-duty soldiers met with their wives and children at security
posts in several parts of the city, including the House of
Representatives, Surapati Park and the National Monument Park,
all in Central Jakarta.

The troops were overjoyed by the visits. Some said they were
thankful they could be reunited with their families at Idul Fitri
despite the country's economic and security woes.

"Thank God, we can celebrate the festive season even in a
modest way. The most important thing is that we can ask for
forgiveness from each other here," one of the soldiers was quoted
by Antara as saying.

Families looked for ways to relax together with offices and
businesses closed. However, many kept the celebrations low-key
due to economic woes.

Favorite spots despite rainfall in the morning and on
Wednesday were the inexpensive Taman Mini Indonesia Indah,
Ragunan Zoo and Taman Impian Jaya Ancol.

Thousands of people -- many in new clothes, shoes or sandals
-- packed themselves onto trucks, motorbikes and pedicabs to
reach their destinations as public transportation was scarce.
They seemed unfazed by the rain as they went out to celebrate.

Many found themselves braving downpours as they waited in
queues, including at Ragunan Zoo in South Jakarta.

Kusyati, 18, who jumped off a truck which carried her from
Bantar Gebang in Bekasi, West Java, said the wait was unpleasant
but worth it to celebrate.

"I've celebrated the holiday here in the past two years as the
park's entrance ticket is quite cheap," said the Tangerang shoe
factory worker.

Entrance is Rp 1,000 per person.

On Wednesday the zoo swarmed with people in private vehicles
and other transportation, including horse-drawn buggies and vans,
which created a chaotic traffic situation.

At least 12 children were reported lost over a two-hour
period.

Head of the zoo's general affairs department Allen Marbun said
the management was forced to let cars enter the park due to their
sheer number.

Visitor totals reached about 60,000 on Wednesday, a sharp
increase from 33,447 on Tuesday, he said.

Rain did not keep people away from Taman Mini Indonesia Indah.

TMII spokesman Dandoel Hardoyono said the number of visitors
was predicted to double from last year's 76,305 people.

Thousands of people were forced to queue for hours to enter
each game arena.

Rosmalining, 58, a visitor from Cisalak, Bogor, waited for her
two grandchildren and eight of her employees who had been trying
to obtain tickets for cable cars for about two hours.

"I then decided to come here to wait for them while they
played," said the owner of a Padang food stall who annually
treats her employees to outings at the city's amusement parks.

At Ancol Dreamland Park in North Jakarta, chronic traffic
congestion also occurred on surrounding streets like Jl. R.E
Martadinata and Jl. Gunung Sahari Raya due to the many visitors
heading there.

Hundreds of vehicles were trapped in a long queue as about
150,000 people lined up to enter the park. It was similarly
crowded inside the park.

People also flocked to public cemeteries, including in Tanah
Kusir, Karet Bivak, Batu Ceper Ampu and Kemiri, to pray at
relatives' graves.

Touching reunions were played out at Cipinang and Salemba
penitentiaries, from which 19 prisoners were freed on Tuesday and
another nine were scheduled to be released the next day.

"Religious values should be implemented in our daily lives so
that the newly freed prisoners will not come back here again,"
Minister of Justice Muladi said during his visit to the Cipinang
penitentiary on Tuesday.

The penitentiary extended visiting hours by half an hour
during Idul Fitri.

At the Tangerang Women's Penitentiary, inmate Herawati, 35,
was saddened that her children and family from Palembang, South
Sumatra, did not visit her.

"My children, Rican, 7 and Hendrik, 6, have not visited during
the last three Idul Fitris. They probably have no money to travel
here."

She is serving a 12-year jail term for the death of her
husband. She spent two years in a penitentiary in her hometown
but was moved to Tangerang three years ago.

Novi Setiawan, 15, expressed similar feelings of loneliness at
the Tangerang Children's Penitentiary, Antara reported.

"I'm nobody's child now. My father died on Jan. 10 last year,
while my stepmother ... she is the one who caused me to be jailed
over the theft of Rp 10,000," he said. (ind/hhr)