The tradition of travelling to sacred places such as graves to beseech blessing from the spirit of the dead remains alive in many parts of Indonesia. Pilgrimage to Mt. Kemukus in Sragen, Central Java is one example. But what pilgrims do in Kemukus is perhaps more unusual, and even sexual, in nature. So why do be people get so worked up at Mt. Kemukus?

Located about 29 kilometers from Solo, Mt. Kemukus has for many years seen huge numbers of visitors from different parts of the archipelago. It is in the mountains where the grave complex of Prince Samudra and his step mother Ontrowulan lies. The grave complex is on the top of a small hill.

On certain days, especially on Thursday and Friday evening in the Javanese calender, people of different social status and professions visit the grave as they want their wish to be fulfilled - wishes such as how to make their business successful.

The pilgrims reportedly believe in a living mythology that in order that their wish or ideal be fulfilled, they are required to share love and have a sexual intercourse with a previously-unknown partner he or she meets there. The myth reportedly comes from the folklore about Prince (Joko) Samudra from the Demak Kingdom. There are different versions of the autobiography, but the one that has developed in the community is that Prince Samudra and his stepmother, Ontrowulan, were involved in love affairs. When the Prince was seriously ill, Ontrowulan faithfully and affectionately cared for him until he drew his last breath.

The scene in the grave complex begins with a janitor legalizing the instantly built love relationship of the partners by marrying them under the hand at the Ontrowulan well. The new pairs will present offerings in the form of flowers, bananas, and cigarettes before conveying the wish and ideal to the janitor. From there, the newly and instantly established partners will do whatever they wish: They will usually slip away to the bush around the grave complex in the starry night, and unleash their passions.