Pilgrimage to Sunan Ampel: from “Communitas” to Contested Space Achmad Fawaid1
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Achmad Fawaid : Pilgrimage to Sunan … 67 Pilgrimage to Sunan Ampel: From “Communitas” to Contested Space Achmad Fawaid1 Abstrak Tulisan ini mencoba menganalisa tentang pencitraan Sunan Ampel, termasuk makam, mesjid, sumur, dan Pasar yang berkaitan dengan Sunan Ampel dalam tiga direktori online di internet, dan pengaruh pencitraan tersebut terhadap bagi para pengunjung yang pernah menggunakannya. Dengan menggunakan konsep “Komunitas, liminality dan tiga ruang” dari Turner, situs Sunan Ampel dianggap sebagai ruang perpaduan antara pariwisata dan ziarah yang tidak jelas, kabur dan dicap kurang baik. Hal ini juga berdampak pada adanya anggapan bahwa situs tersebut merupakan tempat mistis, berbau kematian dan kultus terhadap Sunan Ampel. Proyeksi wisata terhadap situs tersebut juga akan berdampak pada nilai ekonomis dan historis. Akibat dari proyeksi tersebut adalah munculnya paradoks antar fungsi ziarah dengan apa yang terjadi di lapangan. Niat ziarah yang suci akan bergeser menjadi pariwisata, perdagangan, migrasi, ekspresi nasionalisme, munculnya diaspora, maysarakat yang suka takhayul dan hal buruk lainnya. Kata Kunci: Sunan Ampel, Citra, Komunitas, ruang persaingan Abstracts This paper is to analyze “image” of Sunan Ampel, including Ampel tombs, mosque, wells, and market, projected within the three online directories and the possible impacts of this use on different visitors. By using Turner’s concept “communitas”, liminality, and third space, Sunan Ampel site is also considered as a space in which the ties between tourism and pilgrimage are unclear, blurred, and poorly classified. This relationship has also resulted in possible potentialities on how that site has projected mysticism, death, and apophantic nature of Sunan Ampel. The changing projection of the site will be also highlighted in the context of economic and historical spheres. The consequence of such interpretation is that Sunan Ampel could be empty vessel in which the interpretative battle and representations are continuously contested. “Sacred pilgrimage” to Sunan Ampel, finally, overlaps with tourism, trade, migration, expression of nationalism, creation of diasporas, imagining communities, and others. Keywords: Sunan Ampel, image, communitas, contested space 1Gadjah Mada University 68 Al-Turāṡ Vol. XX No.1, Januari 2014 A. Religious Framework Of Sunan found for sale. Some of the sellers have Ampel claimed themselves as a part of “authentic” trader generations in the area Sunan Ampel was the spiritual of Ampel, Surabaya. Kampung Arab has force behind the founding of Java’s first provided not only as traditional market, Nusantara Islamic kingdom in Demak. but also a Middle East culinary. There As the origins of Sunan Ampel, it is are many foods having ingredients of believed that his father Syekh Maulana spices and flesh, a unique provision of Ibrahim Asmorokondi, who came from Middle East. the Middle East or somewhere in Central Due to this reason the local and Asia, married a princess of Campa, from district governments of East Java have where the young Raden Rachmad (Sunan regularly attempted to ‘restore’ this site. Ampel) arrived in Java early in the 15th The tomb of Sunan Ampel, with its century. He died in A.D. 1479 and was mosque and other facilities, was listed as buried at Ngampeldenta, Surabaya, East one of cultural and religious reservation Java. in East Java. The tomb of Sunan Ampel is one destination of Wali pilgrimage in Java. B. Disscusion Around the area of his tomb, there are Different Ads, Similar Goal other tombs of his guardians and students. One of them is Mbah Soleh, “Wali Songo Pilgrimage”, it is one of who allegedly died for ninth times, and headlines in an advertisement website therefore nine tombs were built for him. EastJava.com. In the main menu, Near the tomb is an old well built fantastic words are displayed in the top by Sunan Ampel and his students. It is of page “East Java, Indonesia: A believed that the well will give a Tropical Paradise in the World”. As a ‘blessing’ (berkah) for whoever drinking travel website, this could be regarded as it. Additionally, a mosque of Sunan a complete online directory in which the Ampel was upright there. It has 16 pillars visitors will see diverse menus of teak wood. Each of them is 17 meters navigating them into the tourist without sequel woods. These are very information based on the regencies and tight until now, even they were more cities in East Java, ranging from than 6000 years old. Surabaya to Sumenep. It is believed that this mosque has If one is going into a navigator its own ‘goodness’ (karomah). It was menu “A Beauty of East Java”, it is historically recorded that in the found “pilgrimage tours” under other colonization period, the colonizers information option. Going into the link, sporadically bombarded Surabaya which one will find a new page of pilgrimage caused a wide destruction. But, this tour in East Java. Go to “Wali Songo mosque was not broken. From time to Pilgrimage”, there are some pieces of time, many domestic and foreign people short information about Wali Songo (the have visited this ‘sacred’ place, either for great nine saints), especially those who outing or religious travel (ziarah). fought for Islamic missionary in Around the site, a local market, Indonesia. The primary wali (Maulana namely Kampung Arab (A Hamlet of Malik Ibrahim, Sunan Ampel, Sunan Arab), was built to provide another Giri, Sunan Bonang, Sunan Drajat, colorful sight. At this place, many books, Sunan Kudus, Sunan Kalijaga, Sunan posters, and other items can be easily Muria, and Sunan Jati) and other wali Achmad Fawaid : Pilgrimage to Sunan … 69 (Prapen, Ibrahim Asmoro, Sunan display some articles about it. In addition Bejagung, Syekh Siti Jenar, Tembayat, to “Indonesiaku”, there are other Pusponegoro) were listed next to the interesting menus, such as “Jelajah”, other links, such as holy places, holy “Pelisir”, “Video”, “Potret”, and mosques, and others. “Booking Hotel”. If one wishes to get a Interestingly, under the menu collection of travel diaries, it is simply to “holy places”, only Kampung Arab was click “Jelajah” (Expedition). provided. In the light of such The articles published in advertisement, Kampung Arab is “Jelajah” have issued traveler’s believed as one of sacred place from experience in a visit to specific site. which the travelers and tourists can see However, the style of such report is not “colorful selling” there. Some pictures, narrative, but a kind of feature. The such as old books, tales, legendary menu “MyJourney” in the top of site will pictures, mosque, and shopping provide ‘more’ narrative stories about activities, are displayed. However, it is a personal travel experiences. By reading few of information provided in this journey articles and features in menu, as well as information of each Travel.okezone.com, readers are invited Wali Songo. to have a travel as if they are in the real- In a menu “About Us”, it is time. Like as EastJava.com, this travel informed that EastJava.com is the website also displays many greatest tourism portal in East Java. It advertisements and updated information operated online since 1998, and now has about tourism, but with broader more than 5000 pages, 2000 photos, 50 destination, not only East Java, but also high rest maps, 500 clip videos, and 200 all around Indonesia. articles about travel destination in East Travel.okezone.com was an independent Java. It is also clearly mentioned that online site under Okezone.com, an “this portal is dedicated to compete with entertainment website established on other foreign websites aimed to attract December 29, 2006. The owner is Media tourists from aboard”. There are no clear Nusantara Citra Ltd. (MNC), a data found in relation with the owners of corporation which managed other this website. But, the website groups of business media, such as RCTI Channel, EastJava.com have indicated that this Sindo Newspaper, and Sindo Trijaya website is sponsored by FM. Indonesiacommerce.com, a huge site To enrich these journey insights, which focused on e-commercial Yudasmoro’s travel essay “Simbol promotion in many fields, including Harmoni Surabaya” (A Symbol of tourism. It is a kind of website which is Surabaya’s Harmony) will be used to intended to attract tourists and travelers show the different points of view in going to East Java by facilitating a lot of positioning Sunan Ampel in the light of advertisements, contacts, and religious harmony. It will give a unique information about tourism. perspective on the ways Sunan Ampel is Another source is e-newspaper perceived by a travel writer. Visiting to Travel.okezone.com. Under the menu his travel blog, Yudasmoro.net, one will “Indonesiaku”, many articles about consider about how Yudasmoro has tourist destination are provided. This personal enjoyment as traveler-writer. website is easy-use due to the menu There are menus indicating it, such as “search”. One simply types a specific “Travel Photo”, “Culture”, “Journey”, destination or site, this website will 70 Al-Turāṡ Vol. XX No.1, Januari 2014 and others. He is also an author of books (religious travel to Sunan Ampel), a Fast Food United and Travel Writer. great mosque with its own blessing (masjid yang membawa berkah Colorful Displays Of Sunan Ampel tersendiri), the second biggest mosque in Surabaya (masjid terbesar kedua di As indirectly mentioned before, both Surabaya), original Arabic meal EastJava.com and Travel.okezone.com (makanan asli Arab), sacred well (Sumur have displayed Sunan Ampel in different Keramat), and enjoying the comfortable ways, but for one aim: getting tourists’ and quiteful pilgrimage (menikmati interest. For the case of Sunan Ampel, ziarah yang nyaman dan tenang). All in EastJava.com uses a number of all, it is possible to identify five functional attributes in English. It functional attributes in the websites: (1) emphasizes traditional and Middle East shopping facilities; (2) scenery/natural images of Sunan Ampel, such as a attractions; (3) tourist sites/activities; (4) number of holy books, Indian traders, historic sites; and (5) infrastructure.