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A roar from millennia ago and prayers for peace.
Mount Bromo, part of the Tengger mountain range, was formed thousands of years ago in East Java, Surabaya, Indonesia.
Legend has it that in the ancient village of Tengger lived a princess. She married a handsome prince, but the young couple could not have children. She and her husband went to a volcanic crater in the Tengger mountain range to pray to Brahma – the creator god in Hinduism – for a child.
The picturesque beauty of the Tengger Mountains
A Hindu deity appeared and granted the young couple not just one child, but 25, after they promised to sacrifice their youngest child to the god. However, the princess and her husband did not keep their promise. Five of their 25 children grew up, and the rebellious prince, wanting to conquer a volcano, went there and was swallowed by lava.
Since then, the people of Tengger have also suffered the punishment of the god Brahma with sudden lava eruptions. To avoid this, the villagers offer human sacrifices every year to appease the deity, and the volcano was named Bromo, derived from the Javanese pronunciation of Brahma.
The people of Tengger brought offerings to the crater rim during the 2020 sacrificial ceremony.
The custom of sacrifice still exists today, but instead of sacrificing people, the villagers of Tengger sacrifice food and livestock to pray for peace. Even now, with societal development, this custom continues, but instead of wasting a lot of food, the Tengger people still throw items into the volcano's crater. However, another group of people, risking their lives, climb down into the volcano's interior and, using specialized tools, retrieve the items.
The items were collected by another group of people.
The Brahma sacrifice festival takes place in June every year. This is the busiest time, but it's not suitable for tourists due to the extremely large crowds of pilgrims and the potential dangers of the sacrifices. Although the festival only takes place once a year, Bromo is the most popular tourist destination in East Java.
Not only are there a constant stream of tourists, but the locals also come here every day to release flowers and pray for peace, as an indispensable part of their lives.
Danger lurks behind the tranquil beauty.
Since its last eruption in 2016, Mount Bromo has never ceased to attract tourists and locals who come to pray there.
There are two ways to admire the beauty of Bromo in particular and the Tengger Mountains in general. Tourists can travel independently or purchase a guided tour; both options offer access. First, visitors must wake up very early, around 1 am, to travel to Penanjakan Mountain, 3.8 km from Bromo, to witness the full panorama of the Tengger Mountains as the sun rises.
The starry sky above Mount Penanjakan
On clear days, you might even be lucky enough to see the Milky Way and shooting stars while enjoying a campfire and sipping warm ginger tea. At night, temperatures in the mountains of East Java can drop to 10 degrees Celsius. The dew from the leaves can cause a prolonged, biting cold.
In the ethereal night sky, the Tengger mountain range loomed and disappeared beneath layers of mist, and in the distance, a column of white smoke rose from the crater of Mount Bromo. That column of smoke never disappeared. To the left, the village of Tengger shone brightly, nestled peacefully under the protection of the god Brahma.
Three volcanoes of the Tengger range at dawn.
It's often said that beautiful moments don't last long. Every day, hundreds of tourists and locals alike wake up very early and travel long distances just to catch a glimpse of the sun casting its first rays on the Tengger mountain range.
The hazy picture of the night was now tinged with color. The three highest peaks of the Tengger range were now clearly visible. From here, you could see the complete shape of a volcano with its evenly spaced folds created by seismic activity during its formation, and you would be amazed by the boundless possibilities of nature.
As the sun rises higher, the landscape shifts from orange-yellow to purple, followed by a clear blue sky that provides a backdrop for the mountain range, which appears covered in ancient green moss. Smoke still rises from the craters of the volcanoes, looking from afar like fluffy white clouds. Mist blankets the foothills, only dissipating as the sun rises higher, revealing a desert of coal and volcanic ash.
Visitors can admire the summit of Bromo from Mount Penangkan.
In this breathtakingly beautiful moment, visitors simply want to admire the scenery and offer their prayers to the universe and the deities they worship. If you stand amidst this space where everyone silently gazes at this unchanging beauty and prays, you can't help but feel a little moved.
After enjoying the full view of Mount Bromo emerging in the morning light, visitors continue their journey from Penanjakan to the foot of Mount Bromo. Jeeps can only take visitors to the desert area; to reach the foot of the mountain, you must walk or hire a horse.
Horse riding in the "Sea of Sand" desert is an experience that attracts many tourists.
In this barren land, making a living seems like a challenge for the people of Tengger. They have various ways to exploit the tourism potential of this land, and renting out pack horses is one of them.
Hundreds of horses are gathered here, averaging 15 passengers per day on both the outbound and return trips. When the sun sets and there are no more tourists, the horses are led back home. Because it is a developed tourist destination, the local people have adopted a fairly good mindset, so there is no exploitation of the horses' labor.
As you approach the volcano, you'll see a long line of people, like pilgrims, making their way from the foot of the mountain to the crater. Here, vendors sell flowers for 30,000 Rupiah per bunch. Locals and tourists can buy flowers here and take them to the summit to offer as prayers.
Thousands of people, including tourists and locals, come here to visit and pray.
Here, a ladder with 250 steps has been built from the foot of the mountain to its rim, challenging the faith of devout believers. Yet, this has never deterred anyone. After reaching the last step, the crater appears, its white smoke resembling clouds.
Tourists flock to capture this once-in-a-lifetime sight, while locals offer heartfelt prayers, creating a bustling yet peaceful atmosphere. Sincere prayers are offered in bouquets of flowers and thrown into the mountain's edge, ensuring that Brahma bears witness to their devotion.
In this beautiful, tranquil setting, the roar of the volcano still echoes intermittently. No one knows when the volcano will erupt again. All that is known is that hundreds of thousands of tourists each year still choose this place to admire its unique beauty.
