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Pilgrims flock to 'Sex Mountain' in search of Fortune
Pilgrims flock to 'Sex Mountain' in search of Fortune
- Sex Mountain in Indonesia attracts thousands of Muslim pilgrims, who believe having sex out of wedlock at this holy site will bring them wealth and good fortune. Dateline follows them as they take part in this unusual ritual.
Mardiyah prays at Sex Mountain, in the hope that the ritual will help provide money to pay her debts.
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Married men, cheating housewives, government officials and prostitutes revelling in a mass ritual of adultery and sex. This is what happens on Gunung Kemukus in Indonesia, otherwise known as Sex Mountain.
“I come here to seek good fortune,” regular visitor Mardiyah told me as I follow her journey on tonight’s Dateline at 9.30pm on SBS ONE.
She is one of thousands of pilgrims who journey to a mysterious hilltop in Java to perform this ancient ritual. Most of those who take part in the ritual consider themselves devout Muslims.
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Gepeng travelled hundreds of kilometres to reach Gunung Kemukus, or Sex Mountain.
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“You go there to look for a different partner, not the one you have at home. Historically that's how it works," he said.
Another man travelling with him explained: “I don’t tell my wife. There’s no way my wife will find out.”
Pilgrims first pray and make offerings at the grave. They then must wash themselves at sacred springs nearby and once that's been completed, they have sex.
This ritual isn't seen anywhere else in Indonesia or the rest of the Muslim world. It’s a very Javanese blend of religious ideals with Islamic, Hindu and Buddhist influences.
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Professor Keontjoro Soeparno, a social psychologist from Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, has been studying the ritual for more than 30 years.
“It’s a strange thing. A paradox: there’s a mosque, shrine - but outside – there’s a place for having illicit sex,” he said. "The fact is - it's hypocritical."
It's impossible to ignore that the ritual is riddled with contradictions. Islam views adultery as a sin, so the 'out of wedlock' sex clearly goes against the mainstream law of the religion.
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The question remains though – how do we know this ancient tradition actually works. Does sex with a stranger really boost your bank account?
Mardiyah genuinely believes it does, attributing sex mountain and its spiritual powers to her recent success.
“Praise be to God, after coming here, even though I have a few debts, my business is making a bit of a profit. Even though it’s small, I still give thanks that I’ve received blessings from here,” she said to me.
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MORE: http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2...search-fortune
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