Thousands join ritual to usher in Ramadhan

BANTUL: Thousands of residents of five villages in Wijirejo, Pandak, Bantul and Yogyakarta, held a parade to welcome the Ramadhan fasting month, which begins Aug. 1 this year.

Wearing traditional attire, they marched to the main graveyard in the subdistrict, bearing offerings of food. “We have been doing this tradition for generations,” Ponijan, 60, a resident of Gesikan village in Wijirejo, said.

Upon arriving at the graveyard, all the offerings were placed in a building in the graveyard compound. Then the community leader sang prayers, and blessed the offerings.

Tulus Sunardi, a community leader, said that the nyadran ritual was meant to send prayers for Prophet Muhammad and his companions as well as for their ancestors. “We hold the ritual every Ruwah [a month prior to Ramadhan according the Javanese calendar], usually after the 20th,” he said.