Sea of sand & a live volcano
Jakarta : We witnessed the most beautiful sunrise of Java from Love Hill at Penanjakan, which is at 2751 meters from the sea level and a part of the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park spread over 800 square kilometres (5250 hectares).
Penanjakan is a part of the Tengger cardela which surrounds the sea of sand and five volcanoes. And the sea of sand surrounds the volcanoes within the Tengger cardela, completing the inner circle and picture. The dictionary defines cardela as “large volcanic crater, especially one formed by a major eruption leading to the collapse of the mouth of the volcano”.
After enjoying the bird’s eye view of the complex of volcanoes, we drove down to the sea of sand from Love Hill to climb the Mount Bromo (2329 meters) and peer deep, from its crater, into its very much active belly and innards.
One of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia, it has burst 55 times in the last 218 years. The 55th occasion was in the year 2016. Even then tourists are allowed to go up to the crater and observe it closely and hear its rumblings. Only this volcano is open to tourists in this complex. The second complex of this gigantic national park is called Semeru group of volcanoes.
Once you reach the parking area of Mount Bromo and stand facing it you will see four more volcanos. The first one on the right is the only one with green vegetation creeping up its side walls. It is Mount Batok (2470 meters).
Other three are Mount Kursi (2,581 m), Mount Watangan (2,661 m), and Mount Widodaren (2,650 m). Mount Bromo is the shortest but the only active volcano in the group.
One has the option of walking over the sand or go for a pony/horse ride to reach the foothill of the volcano. We walk past a Hindu temple Luhur Ponten on the sea of sand. After this walk one reaches the rock solid volcanic hill. From here one moves on for a flight of stairs to the top of the crater.
Once you reach the foothill a small enclosure with a roof housing a well preserved Shivalingam draws your attention. A little ahead, before the start of the staircase to the Mount Bromo’s brim, is a small open air shrine with ancient Tengger/Javanese script.
Tenggers are local tribals and practice Hindu religion and its teachings. These lands belonged to this tribe. They are 90 percent Hindus and only 10 percent are Muslims. The government has intervened to stop any attempts to convert them to another faith.
Brahma, the Hindu god of creation, is called Bromo in Javanese language. Mount Bromo is the local version of Mount Brahma. Quite a strange approach to naming it as Bromo. To me volcanoes represent anger, death and destruction. All linked to the god of destruction Shiva. Definitely not Brahma.
As we reached the top after climbing 250 stairs we were in for a big surprise. There was a white dhoti clad idol of lord Ganesha on an open air pedestal with its back towards the crater. With offerings of bananas in front of him he sat there overlooking the Tengger cradle, as if assuring safety and protection and welcoming all to enjoy the view of the active innards of the volcano.
The view of the simmering cauldron from the top of the crater and the sounds emanating from the multi-coloured bottom of the conical pit and watching the slow rise of the sulphuric cloud towards the top was a stunning and jaw dropping moment.
The volcanic sound was like a growl of 10,000 hungry lions echoing through the chamber. Or it could be compared with the sound of dozens of rivers in spate, thundering down the steep valleys of the Himalayas. I am sure this moment will stay imbedded in every visitor’s memory forever.
Theoretical definitions and explanations of volcanoes read in school text books long ago had not prepared me for the rush of emotions—excitement, thrill, child like curiosity, wonder, joy, exhilaration, fear—which struck all at once leaving yours truly weak-kneed. This cocktail of emotions was hundred times more powerful than any other emotion experienced so far.
