The sun hid faintly behind the clouds as Gofur Purnomo visited his client’s home in Pesapen, a compact residential area in Surabaya, East Java. That day, the 66-year-old man intended to keep the sky blue for his client’s wedding celebration.

A legendary handler, Gofur performs rituals to control rain to fall or not in a certain area. Rain handlers are usually hired by individuals and companies to ensure that events, especially outdoor occasions, go smoothly without being interrupted by bad weather. For instance, they make sure that rain does not ruin a garden wedding or, in contrast, that rain falls on a field that has been barren for months. 

When performing rituals as a rain handler, Gofur always invites his wife as a partner to conquer the storm. (JP/Ivan Darski) (JP /Ivan Darski)

Standing in the garden, Gofur and his three friends, dressed in jarik (a traditional batik motif) à la the Surakarta Palace, began the ritual. After lighting incense, they pierced fresh chilies onto a stick and planted it in the ground. Gofur also placed kembang setaman, (seven kinds of flowers deemed important in Javanese culture as a token of respect to the ancestors), on the ground. 

Gofur then took out a handkerchief, making a knot at the end, while waving in all directions with his eyes closed. The four of them each lit a cigarette and blew smoke into the air. With their hands raised towards the sky, the four of them chanted a Javanese spell loudly in unison.

Gofur has been practicing this unique profession for more than three decades. He is friendly and witty, however, if offended, he might turn into your worst nightmare. 

Indeed, at one event, his role as a rain handler for an international event was canceled abruptly by the committee. The decision was taken unilaterally. While Gofur has no problem with cancelations, the head organizer made some disparaging comments about rain handlers that were hurtful to Gofur. He felt humiliated because his abilities were called mere rubbish. 

Without saying a word, Gofur removed the knot from his magic handkerchief and heavy rain poured down. The event that had been planned for months turned into chaos as a storm suddenly appeared.

"Be careful with your mouth. I was belittled, and I had to prove that I was not a fake. I can't tell you what the event was, but the organizer was one of the top people in the government. I gathered up all my 'rain stock' and moved it to the venue. Crash…! Heavy rain poured down and the wind blew hard. Everything was out of control," Gofur said. 

The telephone then rang, the committee was reaching out to Gofur as the rain continued pouring until late afternoon. If the heavy rain continued into the night, the event would inevitably have to be postponed. The committee would come up short. They apologized and asked for Gofur's generosity. They hoped that he would come back to stop the rain. But the rainmaker said that once the rain had poured down, it could not be stopped. 

“That is proof of my anger. I can't ask for it to subside before God’s wills. So, I said on the phone, 'Next time, watch your words',” said Gofur. 

No scientific data

Teguh Tri Susanto, coordinator of data and information at the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) Juanda Sidoarjo, said until now, there had been no scientific research related to rain handlers. For him, the phenomenon of rain handlers as “local wisdom” deserved appreciation. However, Tri said that weather changes in Indonesia were difficult to predict. This is because geographical conditions in the country vary greatly. 

“Because the atmosphere is not a closed room. The weather in one area must have an impact on other areas. We rely more on data and use science as a guide to predict the weather by studying the uniqueness and atmospheric conditions of each region. But if there are people who believe in rain handlers, I think it's fine. We can see it as knowledge of local wisdom," Tri stated. 

Legendary rainmaker

Gofur started his career as a rain handler in the mid-1980s. Over the course of 30 years, Gofur has handled many major events, from state occasions, football matches, wedding receptions to building construction projects. 

At the same time, Gofur's proximity to the rain, which he calls “a friend”, has given him the opportunity to travel across the archipelago from Sumatra to Papua. The job has also taken him to other countries such as Malaysia, India and the Maldives. 

The magic kris, which is said to be more than a century old, was inherited from his grandmother. (JP/Ivan Darski) (JP/Ivan Darski)

“There's a myth that rain handlers lose their 'ability' when they cross the ocean. But I proved that even when I was outside Indonesia my job went well,” said Gofur, who has cast out the rain for various beach parties abroad, including in the United States. “My principle is anywhere I am, I am standing on God's earth. As long as I am in a place created by God, I think my ability will remain effective.” 

According to Gofur, people outside Surabaya know about his work from several people who uploaded his magic touch onto YouTube channels. Since then, his name rocketed. Many people use his services to this day. 

Gofur 'inherited’ this ability to control rain from his grandmother who lived in the city of Kediri, East Java. According to Gofur, it is almost impossible to become a rain handler without inheriting the blood of hermits. Two out of three of his sons are proven examples of this. They too are able to control the rain. 

"Without me teaching them, they could control the rain. I just helped sharpen their skills. They can do it in an instant. There's a kind of instinct like that. You could say we are a rain handler family. But my son lives in a different city. Usually we share tasks on busy days," said Gofur. 

Regarding the rates, Gofur adapts his services to the user. For a government agency or a large corporation, he charges around Rp 1 million (US$70) to Rp 5 million depending on the difficulties. But for public events, such as weddings, Gofur asks for a minimum of Rp 500,000. The most important things for Gofur are cigarettes, coffee and breakfast. And of course, sincerity. 

"Without a sincere heart, the ritual will not run smoothly. It will affect whether my ritual of rejecting the rain will succeed or not," said Gofur.

In the rainy season, requests to repel rain come flooding in for Gofur. He admitted that he felt overwhelmed sometimes when he had to visit his clients one by one in different areas. He began offering a special package for people outside Surabaya who wanted to use his services to ward off rain remotely. Gofur only needs the exact coordinates of the event or project. He said his charms and spells could teleport and keep the rain away even from a distance. The prices are also lower than usual rates because clients do not need to book airline tickets or accommodation for Gofur and his team. 

Gofur has been a rain handler for more than three decades. (JP/Ivan Darski) (JP/Ivan Darski)

"The key is in my handkerchief. Even though I am in Surabaya, I am now also maintaining several development projects that are outside the island such as in Papua, Kalimantan and many others. I can control it from home as long as my handkerchief is tied," explained Gofur. 

He also joked that from handling the rain “remotely”, his income was enough to buy him a car. “If my ritual doesn't work, why have people still believed in me for years? My credibility is as clear as the sky. It's not a trick," said Gofur. 

Hopes and limitations

However, Gofur said, there is a limit to holding back the rain. For him, it was impossible to hold the rain for the duration of a week because it can destroy the balance of nature. He also mentioned that rain handlers do not have the power to actually stop or ward off rain. They simply 'move' rainfall to other areas. 

Being a renowned rain handler in the country has not made Gofur arrogant – at least that is what he claims. He admitted that throughout his career, he had failed several times to keep out the rain.

“In the end, it's all God’s will. As a human, I'm just an intermediary with special abilities, that's all. But I will try my best to 'blow' the rain to other areas,“ concluded Gofur.