Ponari: the Living Shaman

I believe that Indonesia is a country with rich phenomena one of which is the amazing little shaman from Jombang. It was believed that Muhammad Ponari, a 10-year boy from Jombang received a supernatural power when he found a stone. He brought that stone home and his grandmother threw it away. Believe it or not, the stone returned by itself everytime it being thrown away. Eversince, Ponari and his family were determined that the stone had a magic power. He got his astonishing fame when he helped his neighbour who suffering from tummy-ache. He used his 'instinct' to put the stone in the glass of water, and ordered her to drink. Amazingly, after drinking that water, she was healed. As a result, puff!!!! the news about his incridible power and the magic stone was spread evenly throughout the village.

It seems evident that the bottom problem of this phenomenon is actually the increasing poverty, under educated level of society, and distressed people by unsolved daily social and economical problems. They cannot afford to go to the hospital or buy the medicine. Our duty to enlighten the people and push the government to take into account the fate of Indonesian people.






`Jombang land for eccentric people'
Ridwan Max Sijabat, THE JAKARTA POST, SURABAYA

Nine-year-old child healer Ponari, who has become a phenomonon in Jombang for his professed ability to heal various illnesses, has sparked mixed reactions from newly sworn-in Vice Governor Saifullah Yusuf, who has said that the regency is fertile land for eccentric people.

"Jombang is full of eccentric people. It has Gus Dur, it has Cak Nun, Cak Noer, Ryan and last but not least Ponari the child healer," he said in his address at the launch of a radio station at a hotel in Surabaya on Saturday.

Saifullah's joke was greeted with giggles from his audience.

He was referring to former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, cleric and intellectual Emha Ainun Nadjib, late muslim intellectual Noercholish Madjid and serial killer Very Idham Henyansyah alias Ryan.

Gus Dur, son of late Wahid Hasjim and co-founder of the largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama, was born in Jombang and is known for making absurd statements; Emha gained populartity by making political statements through traditional Javanese art, while Noercholish was known for his moderate thoughts on Islam and failure to win the presidency in 2004.

Ryan, the self-confessed serial killer, is notorious for sadistically killing at least 11 people and burrying their bodies in the backyard of his parents' house in Bandar Kedungmulyo, which in the Jombang regency.

The latest eccentric is child healer, Ponari, who is believed and rumored to be able to heal numerous diseases using his miraculous stone. He has attracted thousands of sick people from remote regions and other provinces in search of healing.

Ponari's followers have idiosyncracies of their own. Last week, a group of sick visitors, who were disappointed to find that the authroties had closed Ponari's residence to visitors, left with the discarded bath water of the child healer, who is believed to possess magic powers.

Ponari and his miraculous stone are believed to be able to heal numerous diseases and its effectiveness is backed up by reports of the recovery of his patients; although these remain a rumor.

"The most important thing this [Ponari's healing abalities] depend on personal beliefs of the people. To me, the people are taking a short cut and so far no patients have given testimony on their recovery and the certain thing is Ponari's emergence has claimed four human lives," he said.

Previously, four people died from a lack of oxygen in rushes to Ponari's home, prompting the local police to deny access to Ponari's home in Balongsari vilage, Megaluh district in the regeny.

Despite the ban, thousands of people continued to wait in a long queue outside Ponari's home on Saturday, but they were dispersed, leaving four people unconscious from their illnesses.