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Back to Home Page Features December 19, 2000
Demak: A Javanese town of Islamic saints
By Wahyuni Kamah
DEMAK, Central Java (JP): Traveling by public bus to Demak from Semarang, the capital of Central Java, you will pass along the only highway along the coast of north Java -- popularly known as Jalur
Pantai Utara Jawa, or Pantura.
For the 22 kilometers from Semarang to Demak, the highway is busy with
trucks carrying cargo, intercity buses and cars. The typical view as
you drive along Pantura highway is of houses and vendors' stands on
each side of the road. You can either take an air-conditioned bus
plying the Semarang-Surabaya route, or an economy-class bus for Rp
1,400 one way. The bus drivers generally exceed the speed limit, but
most of the passengers do not seem to mind.
A sign proclaiming Demak Kota Wali, which means Demak City of Saints,
greets you at the entrance of this small town. Demak is noted for the
Wali Songo -- the nine Islamic saints who together were largely
responsible for spreading Islam throughout Java.
After arriving at the small and uncrowded bus terminal, I decided to
visit the famous Great Demak Mosque -- believed to be the first mosque
in Java -- which is near the town square and only a few meters from
the bus terminal. Although only a short walk from the terminal, the
hot midday sun convinced me it was better to take a becak (pedicab),
the town's main mode of transportation.
The front of the mosque is very simple looking. The serambi (roofed
porch) reminded me of Javanese architecture, with its unique
three-tiered roof. There is a tower by the gate, the appearance of
which indicates it was built after the mosque was constructed. Most of
the ground of the courtyard is covered by concrete blocks, with a few
trees in between.
The porch of the mosque is the ideal place to relax on a hot day, and
there are always lots of people taking advantage of this cool spot.
The serambi, which was constructed during the period of the second
sultanate of Demak, is supported by eight meticulously carved wooden
pillars. It is said that the pillars were a gift from the last king of
Majapahit, Brawijaya V, to his son, the sultan of Demak. Two large
drums and two kentongan (gong) are situated on the porch. A number of
ceramic plates have been placed in the wall.
Founded by Babad Demak in 1477, the main feature of the mosque is the
31-meter-long by 31-meter-wide main room, which has wooden doors that
have been painted green.
You are not allowed to take photographs inside the mosque and, like in
other mosques, women must dress properly and cover their heads. Inside
the mosque men and women use separate areas to pray, and the areas are
divided by a curtain. While some men were praying and reciting the
Koran, I spoke with a woman who had traveled a long way to pray here.
She said she wanted to seek blessings by praying in the Great Demak
Mosque.
Pillars
The historical and legendary part of the mosque are the four wooden
pillars, called the soko guru, that support the wooden roof of the
mosque. These pillars are named after the Walis who participated in
the construction of the mosque: Sunan Ampel, Sunan Bonang, Sunan
Gunungjati and Sunan Kalijaga.
It is said that one of the pillars was made of tatal, or pieces of
wood held together by metal bands. This would have been the work of
Sunan Kalijaga, who was known as soko guru tatal. It was believed he
used his metaphysical powers to make tatal.
The original four soko guru were replaced with replica's in 1983 and
now reside in a museum in the mosque compound.
One of the Walis, Sunan Kalijaga, was also famous for correcting the
direction of the kiblat (the direction of Mecca) of the mosque, which
is usually marked by a mihrab (niche in a mosque wall facing Mecca).
Islamic power
The mosque was the symbol of Islamic power and a place where the Walis
discussed many subjects.
Indonesia's most distinguished ulema, Prof. Hamka, once said that Wali
Songo's legacy was the philosophical and symbolic way in which the
mosque was created. This was first revealed when the mosque was
renovated in 1507.
"The five doors of the mosque symbolize the five pillars of Islam, the
six windows symbolize the six pillars of Iman (faith) and the
three-tiered roof symbolizes Islam (the lower), Iman (the middle) and
Ihsan (good deeds, at the top)," said the museum guide, Solihin.
The very top of the mosque is called the mastaka. It symbolizes the
makrifat, or esoteric knowledge of God. The year the mosque was
constructed is revealed in a picture on its mihrab. The picture was
made according to the Javanese calendar, and it shows the year of
construction as 1479.
People come to the mosque compound not only to pray, but also to visit
the graves of the first king of the Islamic kingdom in Java, Raden
Patah, and his followers. The graves are situated at the rear of the
mosque. Raden Patah, the son of Brawijaya V, king of the Buddhist
Majapahit kingdom, together with a princess from Campa, a kingdom in
Southeast Asia, founded Demak as the center of the Islamic kingdom in
Java. This was in the beginning of the 16th century, at the same time
Raden Patah became the first sultan of Demak.
In its golden period, the sphere of influence of the sultanate of
Demak reached as far as Banjar, Kalimantan. The sultanate also
ceaselessly fought against the colonial Portuguese.
The collection in the small museum also includes photos and objects
passed down from Sunan Kalijaga, the mosque's cofounder. The most
memorable object in the collection is a drum, known as bedug Sunan
Kalijaga. Kalijaga introduced the bedug as a way to summon people to
pray, who would come to the mosque when they heard the sound of the
drum.
Solihin said the mosque compound is visited by about 2,000 people
every day, except for during the fasting month of Ramadhan.
Most people making the journey to Demak come on tour packages. Besides
visiting the mosque, they also visit the grave of Sunan Kalijaga in
Kadilangu. Demak residents have named the grave Makam Kadilangu, and
it is located about two kilometers from the mosque.
After the Ashar prayer, throngs of local women come to the mosque. In
a few minutes, the empty serambi is again filled with women who have
come to recite the Koran together or just to listen. The mosque is
never empty.
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