How a ghost-painter was made after meeting the Lady of Ancol Bridge

Jaja's sketch depicting Si Manis Jembatan Ancol (via Viva.co.id)

Jaja claims to have painted the famous female spirit

Brilio.net/en - We've all seen hundreds of painting with humans as the models. But ghosts? It seems absurd, but not for Dirja.

Dirja, who goes by Jaja, is a painter of the dead for years.

He gathersphotos, memorabilia and testimony from friends and family to build a picture of the deceased.

Amongst hissketches, there are a number ofMuslim leaders and figures who passed away hundreds of years ago. There is also a painting of amurder victim.

The 50-year-old doesnt need much time to finish a painting. It took only five minutes to make a sketch, but if I want to make it as smooth as a painting, I need roughly 20 minutes, Jaja told Viva.

Jaja says his paintings can reveal the face of someones ancestors and they uncloak amystery lingering over someones death.He added a note to onepainting saying the woman in itwasstrangled to death.

It began with Si Manis Jembatan Ancol

The Tangerang-based painter sayshe started to make sketches after experiencing a paranormal event. He said in 2003 when he was working on a cruise, a beautiful lady came up to him. She told him her name was Mariam, and that people knew her as Si Manis Jembatan Ancol (The Pretty Lady of the Ancol Bridge). She is a woman and a prominent urban legend in Jakarta evennow. Ancol is in the northern, old part of the city.

The ghost wasthe subject of several popular TV shows duringthe 1990s.

A depiction of Si Manis Jembatan Ancol in a TV series (played by Diah Permatasari) via Kapanlagi

That time, our ship was docked in the Ancol harbor. When I was sitting, taking a rest, a women appeared all of a sudden. She wore a green saree, Jaja recalled.

Suddenly hefelt an urge to paint the lady even though he had nosketching experience.Mariam agreed and Jaja, using a notepad and pen, started to draw. As he begun, he says hefelt an unseen hand guiding his hand to finish the sketch without difficulty.

Mariam told Jaja that the sketch shouldnt be used for profitand disappeared.

Beside Jaja, there are several other artists who claim to have painted Si Manis Jembatan Ancol, including H. Mohammad Husni who lives in Kebon Jeruk, Jakarta.

(brl/red)