The religious tourism area of Pesarean Gunung Kawi (Gunung Kawi Shrine) in Malang Regency, East Java, is once again the center of public attention. This time, the focus is on a circulating official price list for selamatan (thanksgiving feast) and nadzar (vow fulfillment) services offered around the tomb area of spiritual figures Kanjeng Kyai Zakaria II and Raden Mas Iman Soedjono.
The post, which first emerged on the social media platform X, displays the breakdown of costs for various types of ritual packages, with amounts ranging from hundreds of thousands to tens of millions of rupiah. One of the points that drew the most attention from netizens was the selamatan package that includes an offering of a cow, with an estimated cost of up to Rp20 million.
The emergence of this price list has sparked widespread debate among internet users. Some members of the public expressed shock at the standardized rates, while others argued that the figures listed likely cover all operational needs, from procuring food ingredients and ceremonial supplies to the actual hosting services of the selamatan itself.
From the perspective of Javanese culture, the traditions of selamatan and nadzar are forms of expressing gratitude or fulfilling a personal spiritual vow. At Gunung Kawi, this tradition has been passed down through generations, where pilgrims often include tumpeng (cone-shaped rice), agricultural produce, and even wayang (shadow puppet) performances as complementary elements in the prayers they offer.
Management and service providers in the area facilitate the logistical needs of pilgrims, given that Gunung Kawi is a pilgrimage destination for thousands of visitors, both from within the country and abroad. In addition to being a ritual site, this area is also a religious and historical tourism hub equipped with various supporting facilities.
Responding to the uproar, cultural observers have urged the public to view the information in an objective context. Many visitors to Gunung Kawi actually only intend to make a pilgrimage, study history, or simply enjoy the natural scenery, meaning that the perception of mystical rituals cannot be generalized to every individual who visits the location.
