Wakki News The weird is fun
Even the coronavirus itself might get scared and remain indoors at the sight of these scary images.
An Indonesian settlement is not taking chances at all in ensuring that people remain indoors to avoid the spread of Covid 19. The settlement is adopting an unconventional solution – volunteer ghosts.
In Kepuh village, Central Java, people brave enough to venture outside their homes at night risk coming face to face with ‘pocong’ or shrouded ghosts, legendary figures believed to be represent the souls of dead people trapped in their funeral shrouds. The pocong monitor guests coming into the village and make sure that residents stay indoors as much as possible, to prevent them from spreading the potentially deadly coronavirus.
Though the ghosts are scary and creepy in Indonesian folklore, these are not actually real ones.
The scary ghosts are actually volunteer youths trying to help village leaders keep people in for their own good. So adopting an extreme option of dressing up as shrouded ghosts and putting on scary makeup, is not a bad idea provided it work. It was gathered that the community youth in the community actually proposed the idea to the village chief, and he found it to be a smart one and accepted it.
“We wanted to be different and create a deterrent effect because ‘pocong’ are spooky and scary,” said Anjar Pancaningtyas, head of a village youth group, adding that locals required extra convincing to remain indoors. But the good news is the unconventional technique seems to be working.
“Since the pocong appeared, parents and children have not left their homes,” said resident Karno Supadmo, “And people will not gather or stay on the streets after evening prayers.”
“During the past three days, no residents were seen going out at night. Apparently, they’re scared of the fake ghost,” Anjar Panca, the keeper of Kesongo’s Al Himmah mosque, told The Jakarta Post.
