For most Indonesians, a cemetery is a scary place since it is related to a ghost. On the opposite hand, a cemetery in Indonesia is totally different from odd Indonesian residents. They are a gaggle of history enthusiasts who’ve a robust interest in visiting cemeteries to realize a greater appreciation for the past. The group was founded in January 2017 and commonly visits cemeteries around Jakarta. During visits to cemeteries around Jakarta, of which there are roughly 26,100, members have a look at each grave and headstone to study it – from the designs to the stories of the people buried there. Members often take photos of tombs with fascinating architecture. In addition, additionally they check with the staff and folks living nearby.
People may view these cemetery enthusiasts as an odd bunch, but that does not imply they stop being dedicated. Diella Dachlan, considered one of the members of Indonesia Cemetery, stated that the cemetery is a door through which one can learn the history of the people behind the tombstones. There are several types of cemeteries in Indonesia that serve different architecture based on specific religions or ethnic groups. The differences also reflect the country’s economic gap, from luxurious “high-end” cemeteries just like the one at San Diego Hills Memorial Park to low-cost “low-end” cemeteries which can be poorly maintained. Indonesia Graveyard co-founder Ruri Hargiyono said it could possibly be a reminder that in the future we’ll all find yourself underground.
Deni’s other co-founder Priya Prasetia died of illness in August. The lack of her co-founder makes it difficult for Ruri to debate what they’ve learned together. They met in September 2016 in a WhatsApp group called Jakarta Coffee, the coffee group consists mostly of history enthusiasts. Their first meeting together was in January 2017, on Chinese New Year Day, during a visit to the Tanah Cepe Cemetery, the resting place of many Chinese of Indonesian origin. Soon after, Ruri and Deni became friends based on their fascination with history. Deni taught Ruri Chinese culture and read tombstones in Chinese cemeteries since he was studying Chinese literature.
Between 2017 and 2019, members visited many cemeteries in Jakarta and surrounding cities. They often visited in a small group at a time. Even though the intensity of pandemic visits will decline within the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, Hargiyono still sometimes visits cemeteries alone.
As the cemetery’s popularity has grown in Indonesia, it shouldn’t be unusual for people to sometimes ask the group for assist in looking for specific graves. A New Zealander once sent a photograph of a relative’s cemetery with a road check in West Jakarta. Hargiyono explained that the group couldn’t find it since the photo was taken within the Sixties or Seventies. It was too old to search out because an old grave is commonly superimposed on a brand new one.
Several cemeteries remain within the memory of the members. A memorable cemetery for Hargiyono herself is the Oen Giok (OG) Khouw Mausoleum Cemetery. There lay Khow, a Chinese-Indonesian (successful) businessman who lived on the turn of the twentieth century. The grave monument was built of imported Italian marble. The mausoleum was created as an emblem of the love of his wife, who died 30 years after his departure.
Some cemeteries remain within the memory of members. In Hargiyono’s case, it’s the Oen Giok (OG) Khouw Mausoleum Cemetery, where Khouw, a Chinese-Indonesian businessman who was successful within the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in the course of the Dutch colonization of the country, is buried. The monument is huge and built of imported Italian marble. Unfortunately, it’s poorly maintained because they haven’t any descendants who could handle it.
Another favorite place is the Taman Prasasti Museum (Memory Stone Park Museum). It was in-built 1795 as the ultimate resting place of the Netherlands. It is the oldest cemetery in Indonesia and has European architecture.
For Dachlan, probably the most memorable visit was to the grave of Abah Rosidi, considered one of the survivors of the 1965 Indonesian tragedy because he was believed to be a member of the communist party Partai Komunis Indonesia. Following the 1965 presidential election fraud claiming that the Communist Party was returning, Abah Rosidi and plenty of others were illegally arrested without trial.
Dachlan also shared her impressions of visiting the Jewish cemetery in North Jakarta and the Megamendung cemetery in Bogor, where 10 German soldiers killed during World War II are buried. The deaths of some soldiers were natural, and others were related to the war.
In addition, he admires the Kalibata Heroes’ Cemetery, the resting place of many Indonesian heroes. Dachlan said, “Every time I visit, read the names of the characters and remember their stories, I always feel a sense of pride and emotion.”
You can often see a energetic community walking through the cemetery, from houses just a few meters from the graveyards, to stalls selling various things to generate profits, and folks taking a nap on the graves. Dachlan told the story of an elderly couple(s) who moved near the Tanah Kusir Cemetery after their only child fell victim to the tragedy in 1998. They decided to maneuver about 10 meters from the kid’s grave and sell on a regular basis goods at a small stall to make a living.
In the past, Hargiyono and Prasetia posted photos of the graves they visited on their personal Instagram account before they decided to establish the official Indonesia Graveyard account. Hargiyono recalls that when the members escorted Prasetia to his final resting place, they wandered across the cemetery and discovered many elderly artifacts as if he was there with them. Prasetia’s wife then followed her husband’s path and have become a part of the Indonesian Cemetery.
