Blackwell Reference Online

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Visiting a holy grave or another spiritually potent site, especially at night, is a favorite practice for many Javanese. Yogyakarta is surrounded by some of the preeminent spiritual pilgrimage sites of Central Java. To the south is the coast area of Parangtritis, the location of the mythical spirit Queen of the South (Ratu Kidul). Close to that is the mausoleum of Imogiri with the grave of Sultan Agung (1613–46), the third and greatest king of the Muslim empire of Mataram. To the north is the active volcano Merapi, while to the northeast is the grave of one of the founders of Islam in Central Java: Sunan Bayat. This landscape still invites pilgrims and it is thought that cosmic forces and legendary characters are constantly present.Pilgrimage to a holy place in Indonesia is called ziarah. Basically, sites for ziarah on Java are the graves of Muslim saints or Muslim kings and nobles. For example, the graves of the wali sanga, the founders of Islam on Java, draw visitors from all over the archipelago, while many graves of Muslim leaders, mystics, or initiators of pesantren (Islamic boarding schools), the kyai, are of local importance. Pilgrimages are also made to sites situated in impressive natural landscapes, for example, mountaintops and caverns often considered to be holy places, loci of spiritual and magical forces. Popular belief holds that a grave on top of a mountain considerably ... log in or subscribe to read full text