Jakarta Java Kini - Jakarta Culture Entertainment Lifestyle
East Java
In the Steps of the Saints
To appreciate the complexities of Java, it's worth taking time to discover how Islam came to the island. This is not so difficult as it sounds. Duncan Graham explains.
The Pilgrim's Trail through the religions of East Java can be done in a day with comfort. The journey isn't onerous and can provide a multitude of rewarding experiences. Boring it is not. Expats will see things they will never encounter in their homeland. But first a little history.
Islam probably arrived in Indonesia at the end of the 7th century AD with Arab traders, but it did not become embedded in Java till the mid-15th century. That was more than 800 years after the death of the Prophet Mohammed in the Middle East.
During this period, Animism, Hinduism and Buddhism (both brought from India) and Shiva-Buddhism, a locally developed mixture of the two, dominated Java.
The stories about the spread of Islam in Java are confused and confusing. Oral traditions mixed with myth, magic and unverifiable 'facts' have created a strange history. This has discarded babes set adrift (a la Moses) surviving to do great things, saints going straight to Mecca through a hole in a wall and the construction of a mosque in one night despite a lack of timber.
It is believed that a Vietnamese princess married King Brawijaya of the Javanese Majapahit kingdom and converted him to Islam. Her tomb dated 1448 can be seen in the East Java town of Trowulan. As in most feudal societies, when a ruler changes his faith the populace follows.
However other Islamic tombs dating back to 1350 have been found in the same area suggesting that the unnamed princess was a latecomer. (But was she a princess? Another story has a sorceress called Niai Gedi Pinatah exiled from Cambodia settling in Java.)
But for most Javanese it was the arrival and missionising of the nine Wali Songo in the 15th century that established the new religion.
The Wali Songo, or religious teachers, had a mixed background. The so-called 'Father' was Maulana Malik Ibrahim who may have arrived in Java from Iran in 1404. He settled in Gresik where he lived for only 15 years. His tomb in the town is readily accessible and staff are cheerful. The white marble headstone is believed to have been imported from India.
His main disciple, Raden Rachmat - now known as Sunan Ampel - was the son of a man from the Middle East and a woman from Vietnam - maybe the mystery sorceress. Two of Sunan Ampel's sons, Sunan Bonang and Sunan Drajet became members of the Wali Songo.
Sunan Ampel died in 1479 and is buried in Surabaya in the city's Arab quarter. Unlike some tomb sites the residents and traders here are used to non-Muslim visitors. The alleyways are lined with shops offering clothing, food, spices and perfumes imported from the Middle East, all creating an exotic environment. Hot sellers are fans with imagined pictures of the nine men.
Many tombs are believed to be sources of spiritual energy. Muslims are not supposed to venerate ancestors or pray for good fortune and success at their tombs. The idea of 'saints' is unorthodox. When they visit the graves pilgrims should pray only for God's intercession on behalf of the Wali Songo.
(An Arabic school alongside the Sunan Ampel cemetery has been denied funding from Saudi Arabia because the saint's grave, surrounded by scores of tombstones of his relatives and students, is open for public prayer and meditation - a practice disapproved of by literalists.)
The success of the Wali Songo in converting Java to Islam was due mainly to the missionaries' flexibility when confronting local cultural practices, and their willingness to synthesise the new faith with traditional beliefs. This is probably the reason behind Indonesia's present-day reputation for religious tolerance.
The Wali Songo were Sufis and mystics. Some of the saints, like Sunan Drajat, were literary men and musicians. The remains of a gamelan orchestra from the period are kept in a museum alongside his tomb at Paciran.
The north coast road linking Tuban and Surabaya was built by the Dutch between 1808 and 1811. Unlike the inland road that passes through Lamongan it's relatively free of traffic, which is just as well because it winds round the coastline. If you're snap-happy, the little fishing harbors choked with brightly colored fleets are worth wandering, as is the port at Gresik where big Bugis schooners are unloaded by hand.
Although a few locals still find the arrival of Caucasians a bit disarming, the upside is that there are no tourist traps and harga bule (foreigner's price). Some site supervisors think anyone with a white skin should sign the visitor's book and pay a fee. How much? Although a Rp 10,000 note is kept as a bookmark, any denomination will do. Don't expect a receipt.
Access to Sunan Giri's tomb at Gresik is up a long series of concrete steps where visitors run a gauntlet of beggars. If you want to avoid their curses (and they have a rich and well rehearsed vocabulary) drop a coin in each bowl. Lack small change? No worries - a stall at the foot of the steps will happily change your notes.
Begin your Pilgrim's Progress from Surabaya where good hotels are plentiful and cheap. Avoid Fridays and Islamic public holidays (particularly Idul Fitri) as the crowds can be large. Weekends are also popular. If you start early it takes around 30 minutes to reach Gresik on the toll road, then enjoy this ancient city's delights before the sun becomes intense and the buses arrive.
Now best known as one of Java's industrial centres Gresik was once an international trading port. Many examples of old Dutch architecture have survived, especially around the delightful town square.
The next stop is Paciran, mid-way to Tuban. Although Sunan Sendang Duwur was not one of the nine Wali Songo, his resting place high on a green quarry-lined hill above the town rewards the diversion. It's set amongst Hindu masonry including a traditional candi bentar (split gate) leading to the adjacent mosque, different religions co-existing.
Although this site is seldom visited by foreigners, the staff and students at the local pesantren (Islamic boarding school) welcome strangers, particularly English speakers willing to demonstrate their dexterity with diphthongs.
When you tire of history there are some grand limestone caves worth the descent. The Akbar cave in Tuban sits under the market. The walk-through runs for 1.2 kilometres and the place is well maintained. So is the smaller Maharani Cave at Paciran with rising stalagmites and falling stalactites.
In Tuban the tomb of Sunan Bonang is located in a big cemetery near the multi-colored Iran-style Jami Mosque. Set in the gateways leading to the tomb are discs or plates with Arabic and Chinese lettering - the purpose unclear.
For a complete change of style visit Tuban's Kwan Sing Bio Temple complex dedicated to three religions, Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. The gateway faces the sea and is topped by a big crab symbolising heroism. Here parking and entrance are free; the atmosphere is relaxed and there's an absence of touts and stares.
The drive back to Surabaya should take about 120 minutes - time enough to ponder the importance of religion in Indonesian culture and marvel at its rich heritage.