Cemeteries Busy Before Ramadhan

By Barrie | September 11th, 2007 | No Comments

Ramadhan is just around the corner, offering blessings even to those who earn a living in the city’s cemeteries. Rum, 60, lives near the Karet Bivak cemetery in Central Jakarta and earns a living by cleaning graves in the cemetery grounds.

She said on the days leading up to Ramadhan, especially around a week before the fast begins, the number of visitors to the cemetery increases significantly.

“I can earn up to Rp 50,000 (around US$5) per day on days like this. On normal days, I have to consider myself lucky if I get Rp 20,000,” she said, explaining that her job involved trimming the grass on graves and removing litter.

“Visitors usually give me between Rp 5,000 or Rp 10,000, or sometimes, only Rp 2,000. I don’t charge families who ask me to tidy the graves of their loved ones. I accept any amount of money given to me,” said the friendly old woman, as she continued sweeping a grave site with a long broom.

She said on days when there were many visitors, like this week in particular, more people came to the cemetery looking to earn money by doing similar work.

“They’re never here on normal days,” said Rum, looking over at a group of young men cleaning up a grave a few meters in front of her.

Cleaning up graves, however, is not the only way to earn a living at the cemetery.

Amsoleh, 68, a maker of chairs, opened two kiosks in front of the cemetery to sell flowers.

Most visitors sprinkle flowers on their families or relatives’ graves during their visits, resulting in rows of flower vendor kiosks along the path leading to the cemetery gate.

This is not a common sight on regular days.

Amsoleh, who sells mostly jasmine and rose water, said he could earn around Rp 500,000 per day leading up to Ramadhan.

Amsoleh’s relatives man the two kiosks, which are open from very early in the morning until the evening.

“I only sell flowers here on the days leading up to Ramadhan, on the Muslim holiday of Idul Fitri and a few days after. Those are the peak times; there are only a few visitors on regular days,” he said while offering his flowers to two female visitors.

It is common knowledge that cemeteries become prospective places of business as Ramadhan approaches.

Flower vendors and grave custodians are not the only additions to
the cemetery grounds leading up to Ramadhan, with dozens of food and beverage vendors and beggars present at large graveyards, such as those in Karet and Tanah Kusir, South Jakarta.

Aga, 35, a parking lot attendant at Karet Tengsin cemetery, said only a few people visited the graveyard on regular days.

But, on the days before Ramadhan, the number of visitors increased to hundreds, even thousands, he said.

“The peak time is Sunday, because many people have the day off. But, on Wednesday, the day before Ramadhan begins, I believe there will be many more,” he said.

Dedi, 45, Tanah Kusir cemetery’s parking lot attendant, offered a similar remark.

Dedi said the graveyard became very crowded on the days before Ramadhan, during Idul Fitri and several days after.

Tinah, 56, a visitor to Karet Bivak cemetery, said visiting the graves of her relatives before Ramadhan was a tradition.

She said since her father-in-law passed away in 1980, her family had always visited the cemetery before Ramadhan.

“We always take the time to visit the grave before Ramadhan and on the second or third day of Idul Fitri,” said Tinah.

Another visitor, Puji, 49, from Bekasi, West Java, said the sentiment during Ramadhan did not feel the same unless the month was initiated with a visit to the graves of deceased family members.

She and her extended family did not mind taking the long trip to visit her father’s grave at Gerendeng cemetery, in Tangerang, before Ramadhan.

Puji, however, was not sure where the tradition originated from.
“I think Prophet Muhammad encouraged Muslims to remember their deceased relatives and to pray for them during a visit to their graves, so actually, it can be done at any time,” she said.

In addition to visiting her father’s grave prior to Ramadhan, Puji said she and her family also visited the grave once every two or three months, and on the second day of Idul Fitri.

“I hope my late father is pleased by our visits, although actually, the visits are for ourselves, to remind us that someday we’ll be six feet under the ground too; it’s only a matter of time.”

Source: Jakarta Post