Every 35 days, rituals are conducted that involve adulterous sex. Conservative Muslim groups have threatened to shut down the site in the past, but police arrived to prevent it. The income of the families, who live at Mount Kemukus, decreased by 90 per cent. The shrine is that of legendary prince Pangeran Samodro, son of a Javanese king, and his stepmother Nyai Ontrowulan.
Legend has it that they ran away together and lived at Gunung Kemukus. It is believed that if you do something even more shameful there, such as having adulterous sex, then you will be blessed with good fortune. It must be done on the auspicious day of Jumat Pon, when the Friday on the Gregorian calendar intersects with one of the five days of the ancient Javanese calendar. The shrine attracts up to 8, pilgrims on the busiest nights and has an entry fee of around 5, rupiah around 50 US cents.
Devotees have been trekking up Kemukus in the current fashion since the late 19th century and only in the s were hostels added - with couples having sex under the trees prior to that. The ritual involves first prayers and offerings of flowers at the grave of Pangeran Samodro and Nyai Ontrowulan.
Pilgrims must then wash themselves at one of the sacred springs on the hill and find a stranger to have sex with them. They need to have sex seven times. That is every 35 days, so it is a relationship that lasts around a year. So the couples have to make a significant commitment to each other.
They need to exchange mobile phone numbers and addresses and decide where to meet again, so they can complete the ritual. Most people who do the ritual are small business owners. They hope that if they carry out the ritual their business will improve and they will make good money and be successful. From there, word emerged that whoever can finish off their sexual act will receive blessings from Nyai Ontrowulan.
