Jeruk Purut Cemetery

Jeruk Purut
Details
Location
Jakarta
CountryIndonesia Java
Coordinates6°16′48.1″S 106°48′52.3″E / 6.280028°S 106.814528°E / -6.280028; 106.814528
Size9.12 hectares (0.09 km2; 0.04 sq mi)

Jeruk Purut is a cemetery in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Layout

Jeruk Purut covers a total area of 9.12 hectares (0.09 km2; 0.04 sq mi).[1] It is located in South Jakarta.[1]

Along with Kalibata Heroes Cemetery and Karet Bivak and Menteng Pulo public cemeteries, Jeruk Purut is one of the better maintained cemeteries in Jakarta.[2]

History

The cemetery was expanded with wakaf land (land donated for religious purposes) in the mid-2000s, which resulted in the eviction of several squatters.[3] In 2007, burials averaged 300 per month.[3] As of 2007, Jeruk Purut is one of few cemeteries in Jakarta capable of expansion.[3]

Legends

According to local belief, Jeruk Purut is haunted by the ghost of a decapitated pastor.[4] The ghost is said to carry his head around with it, and be followed by a large black dog.[4] He is reportedly looking for his grave, which is said to not be in Jeruk Purut but Tanah Kusir Cemetery.[5]

According to The Jakarta Post, the belief has been around for decades.[4] The Jakarta Globe notes that many visit the cemetery at night to look for it;[5] it is said to only appear on Friday nights when those looking for it are in groups with an odd number of people.[5] The story was used as the inspiration for the 2006 film Hantu Jeruk Purut (The Ghost of Jeruk Purut), which led to a burst in popularity for the cemetery.[5]

More ghosts are reported to abide in the cemetery.[5] They include a child and large hairy ghoul.[5] In 2011, Prambors FM chose Jeruk Purut Cemetery as the scariest place in Jakarta, based on the legend of the headless pastor.[6] It was selected over Lubang Buaya, the site where the corpses of several generals were dumped after an unsuccessful coup, as well as a bridge in Casablanca, a train crossing in Bintaro, and a house in Pondok Indah.[6]

Notable interments

References

Footnotes
Bibliography