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Alladin's
Cave or What ?
by
: Mehru Jaffer
It is
something like entering into the fabled cave of Ali Baba where forty
thieves had piled up camel loads of loot from the floor all the way
upto the ceiling. But unlike the treasure cave of the Arabian Nights
no cabalistic words like "Open O Samsam" is required here to
stand in the midst of the mounds and mounds of all the glitter and
glimmer.
For
the portals of the Pasar Batu Aji and Batu Permata in the traditional
Rawa Bening markets of Jakarta's eastern district of Jatinegara are
forever wide open for one and all, to wander around till weary,
marvelling not only at the precious gemstones but also at hundreds of
charms and talisman that promise to bring fame and fortune to the
buyer.
Ofcourse
he knows that as a good Muslim it is a contradiction to be selling
charms and mantras. But for Haji Samlawi that is the only way that he
knows to earn a livelihood. The 54 year old Madurese came to Jakarta
in 1975 and started peddling semi-precious stones and sea shells that
he had brought back from his home-island, on the roadside here.
"We are Muslim but our traditions date back to thousands of years
before Islam and it is difficult to give up what our ancestors told us
is also beneficial to us," explains Pak Haji.
Today
the formally uneducated salesman takes orders from three kiosks owned
jointly by his very businesslike wife and son, supplying gemstones and
amulets by post or in person to customers around the country. No, he
does not claim to have any mystical powers himself. He stocks only
those goods that his customers ask for from onyx to semi-precious
stones known as batu cincin.
Hajah
Mahlamah also from Madura does not like to wear jewels herself but
enjoys selling them to others, especially to Arab and American
customers. Her neighbour Adriansyah,19 is a high school graduate
and specialises in rolls of akar bahar, a seeweed that is said to cure
rheumatism. He sits surrounded by sun-dried private parts of
crocodiles which when pickled in alchohol serve as an aphrodisiac.
Apart from bales full of synthetic gemstones in every colour of the
rainbow and embedded in stainless steel or brass finger rings, the
youngman also sells curled up tails of a fish that makes a lethal whip
used by people to deal with unknown enemies.
His
stall, only one of 200 in the marketplace apart from 100 kiosks, is
also piled up with stocks of the blind bamboo, and ribs of mermaids.
Adriansyah cannot think of a better job for himself than his present
one.
Come
the weekend and 22 year old Iing brings out the best American diamonds
he has in stock. For it is mostly on Saturdays and Sundays that
the big buyers appear. For their personal adornment the Chinese like
more traditional patterns on their ring and prefer gems like the
garnet, garut or sapphires from Sri Lanka. The Arab and native
Indonesian customers take home with them jewellery made from silver
and studded with diamonds from America.
Before
the monetary crisis Iing recalls earning upto Rp 50,000 on a lucky day
but these days he is happy when he can call it a day with as little as
Rp 20,000 in his pocket. The price of stones varies from Rp 2000 for a
multi-coloured agate from Kalimantan to an American diamond worth even
Rp 200,000 or more. A little-finger nail sized virus, the colour of
peacock feathers from Sukabumi can be bought for Rp 25,000.
"By
itself a stone is meaningless. It is the way it is cut and adorned is
what enhances its value," informs Ick Murcholik,27 who prefers
for himself the yellow coloured topaz that is rarely available in
Indonesia. He is not sure whether the possession of certain stones
will bring luck to people. However in The Autobiography of a Yogi by
Paramahansa Yogananda, it is mentioned that faultless gems of not less
than two carats when worn in contact with the skin are most beneficial
for astrological purposes.
"Gems
are similar to a lightning rod. They create, what is in effect, a
protective field around the body, regulating which cosmic forces are
absorbed by the body. And in time, the proper gemstones, if kept in
contact with the skin, can bring about changes in the mind and
body," the book says.
Moni,
a young housewife and mother of two was told by her grandmother to
wear a topaz studded finger ring that touched her skin if she wanted
to marry a good man. She wore the ring all the time till she got
married nearly a decade ago and now she adorns it only when she feels
like it. Her favourite stone is opal really, a gem that ancient Romans
ranked second only to the precious emerald. A thumbnail sized opal
which she wears as a pendant cost her about half a million rupiah.
Ann
who was too shy to give her real name wears a yellow sapphire on her
index finger as suggested by an astrologer. According to ancient
believes the stars in their constant movements throughout the heavens
are forever emitting both positive and negative magnetic vibrations
and this influences each person both for good and for ill.
Silky,
an expatriot was asked by his cousin Nirmala who is well known in
India for her psychic powers to wear a pearl. "On my last trip
home, Nirmala felt that I was restless and the pearl would calm me
down," he says. Silky sees no reason to disbelieve his cousin who
is constantly consulted by thousands of people around the world. He is
now on the look out for a silver ring studded with a pearl for
himself.
In
Ayurvedic Healing, the American doctor David Frawley mentions that the
organic stone pearl is good for promoting body fluids and the blood,
nourishing the body tissues and the nerves. "Pearl strengthens
the female reproductive system, improves fertility and calms the
emotions," says Dr.Frawley. Asked if he wore the gorgeous, melati
green stone on his index finger for attracting better business, !7
year old salesman Amin replied that he simply likes the look of the
ring. But if it also brings him luck, he would not mind that.
It
was perhaps the touch of the wrong stone then that brought upon this
reporter the thunderous wrath of a fellow visitor to the colourful
marketplace. "You taking photos of me? You photo me, trouble for
you. I check camera...No photo OK?" he threatened as if stepping
straight out of the pages of the tales from A Thousand and One Nights.
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