Bromo mountain is one of the most important volcano tourist destination in Indonesia. This location is a part of Bromo – Tengger – Semeru National Park located in Malang, Probolinggo and Pasuruan regencies. Entire of the National Park areas actually is good location for natural and adventures tourism, but most of all Bromo area is the favorite.
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Bromo area has tremendous and unique landscape, this 2350 m ASL Mountain has very beautiful view, combinations of mountainous meadow, mountain desert and the Bromo Caldera composing a great landscape to visit.
Bromo Caldera and the Sunrise:
Sunrise on the peak of Bromo is a fantastic moment that wanted by majorities people that visit Bromo. Not only has the great and fantastic view of the moment when the sun slowly comes up, we can also enjoying a beautiful caldera. Bromo caldera is a sacred caldera for Tengger People; there are religion and culture correlation between them and the caldera. Majority of Tengger people are Javanese Hinduism, look like Balinese. Like Balinese, Tengger people also part of Majapahit Kingdom society, the last Hinduism – Buddhism Empire of Indonesia.
If you would like to enjoy sunrise on Bromo then you should start from Probolinggo at night, walking to a place named Cemoro Lawang about 2 – 3 hours. From Cemoro Lawang you can rent a car (a jeep) to bring you up to Pananjakan, from this base point you can reach the peak of Bromo by riding a horse or walking.
Riding or walking on sea of sand of this national park can be a memorable experience. Sand sea is so wide and with a height of 2392 meters, the uniqueness of this nature may only exist in this place. The Bromo’s sea of sand looks more amazing when the sun starting to light swept into the landscape with his red light orange color; the best location to enjoy this moment is Cemoro Lawang, one entrance to the national park.
The mountain is not as big as other volcanoes in Indonesia but has spectacular scenery and dramatic. Exceptional beauty makes tourists who visit will be amazed.
The Landscape and Tengger People:
Indeed, not only enjoy the Bromo crater and enjoy the sunrise mountain alone. Journey to the top of the small mountain is also part of enjoying the natural attractions that lure, sea of sand in the mountain heights, greenery vegetable fields, also grasslands and wildflowers. You can enjoy it by driving a jeep, horseback or even walking. Jeep and horses many available for rent there.
The climber of Mount Bromo and Semeru, many who did detour into a cold lake that is always foggy, namely Ranu Pani, Ranu Regulo, and Ranu Kumbolo. This is a shifting focus of a memorable trip. The mountain lakes are quiet and beautiful, a location which is good for relieving stress. You can mingle with the nature, to feel a part of it in such a peaceful quiet place like Ranu Kumbolo and the others.
Indigenous Tengger is a friendly community with a cultural background that still maintains strong traditions. A beautiful temple was set in the middle of a sea of sand and surrounded by verdant hills there. If you are willing, you can stay longer there while enjoying the interaction with the Tengger people with a variety of traditions and beliefs that are similar communities in the island of Bali, but with different culture knickknacks.
Ritual of Yadnya Kasada:
Come in Kasada / tenth month of local calender (usually in September-November) and witnessed the annual Kasada festival, this festival is a combination of tradition and religious beliefs Tengger tribe communities. The culmination of this ritual is throwing a variety of goods from vegetables, fruit, chickens, goats until the money into the crater of Mount Bromo by Tengger tribe; this ritual is a part of their gratitude.
Bromo Tengger tribe was known to cling to the old Hindu customs and traditions that guide their lives. The existence of this tribe is also highly regarded by population living nearby, including applying a very honest and do not envy. According to local people, it is believed that the Tengger tribe is descendants of Roro Anteng, who was a daughter of the king of Majapahit and Joko Seger, the son of a Brahmin. Local language they use every day is the ancient Javanese language. They do not have a caste in the language, very different from the Java language in general, because the Java language has levels (caste) in the language. From this belief then Yadnya Kasada tradition started. This tradition has been carried out since so many centuries ago when the Majapahit Empire still existed.
According to locals oral story, at Brawijaya dynasty ruled Majapahit , blessed queen daughter named Roro Anteng . Having grown up daughter is married to a young man from the Brahmin caste named Joko Seger . Both then decided to stay and become the ruler in Tengger, when the Majapahit Empire started to decline and the influence of Islam in Java become stronger.
After a long life together, they were very sad because they have not been blessed with children, eventually they were meditating on top of Mount Bromo, and get a clue that their request would be granted with the condition that their youngest child after birth should be sacrificed to the crater of Mount Bromo. Once blessed with 25 children, it was time the pair have to sacrifice the youngest, they do not have the heart to do it. Finally, God was angry and took the youngest child into the crater of Bromo. Noise arising from the youngest child that their parents a quiet life with his brothers. To honor the sacrifice, the offering ceremony every year to the Bromo crater. The traditional ceremony itself then called Yadnya Kasada.
Right on the eve of the 14th month Kasada, Tengger tribe will be abuzz bringing offerings such as livestock and agriculture to the Pura Luhur Poten and waited until midnight when the shaman ordained elders. Next, the prepared offerings brought to the crater of the mountain to be cast into the crater as a symbol of the sacrifices made by our ancestors. For Tengger tribe, the offerings are thrown down the Bromo crater as a profession or a form of gratitude for livestock and agricultural abundance.
If you are interested in watching Ceremony Yadnya Kasada Bromo, it is advisable to arrive before midnight because of hectic preparation for the shamans and the community. Thousands of people will ride a motorbike or a personal vehicle, of course the road to the foot Hill of Bromo Mountains badly jammed.
How to reach Bromo?
To get to Mount Bromo, you can fly from Juanda International Airport of Surabaya or Jakarta to Malang.
From there, you can continue the journey to Mount Bromo with a travel agent to book or driving a car with the Surabaya-Pasuruan-Wonokitri-Mount Bromo, this will spend 2 to 3 hours.
There are three other entrances besides the track above , namely : Cemoro Lawang village if you are passing through the Probolinggo , Ngadas Village when you pass through Malang , and Burno lane when passing from Lumajang . All of this pathway can be reached comfortably on four-wheeled vehicles .
In order to arrive on time to see the sunrise, you should go with a little computation time, or it can stay in one of the hotels in Prigen, Tretes to make sure you are on the slopes of the crater before sunrise.
