Ancient offering rites at Mt Bromo volcano

 East Java

One of the most fascinating and colourful rituals still practiced in Indonesia takes place during the Yadnya Kasada festival, at Mt Bromo volcano – in the east of Java. Mt Bromo reaches a height of 2392 metres, and remains active today – there have been repeated eruptions over the past decade. Once a year, on the full moon in July, the local Tenggerese people in this area, will go to the volcano's crater, with offerings of food, small change, chickens, young goats, and so on. While some are casting their offerings into the crater, still others wait inside the crater itself, trying to catch the objects thrown in. 

People believe this ritual can be dated back to the 15th century. After the fall of the great Majapahit Empire of Indonesia, legends say that a princess of the fallen dynasty, together with her husband, took refuge here on the slopes of Mount Bromo. Sadly, the royal couple were childless. They began to cry out to the spirits of the volcano, imploring their assistance. Clearly this worked well, because the couple went on to have 25 children. The gods, however, demanded the youngest as a child sacrifice in return for their assistance. The parents took pity on the poor baby, and 'forgot' to observe the demands. The volcano spirits were enraged. First, the child disappeared in a column of flame that spat out of the ground – and then other Tenggerese people met the same awful fate. Since then, the Tenggerese have made offerings annually to the volcano – but not human sacrifices. 

It is not considered shameful to catch the offerings thrown down into the crater – the Tenggerese understand that the volcano spirits don't eat such food products themselves, and it is a pity that they go to waste. The only important thing is the the spirits see people's willingness to make due offerings. Their belief is a specific accretion of Hinduism with aspects of Buddhism and animism.

On the eve of the Yadnya Kasada festival, the Tenggerese began carrying their offerings up to the crater. Chains of people make their way up precarious stairways. Some might bring a bird – others, a kidling. Before ascending to the crater there is a place where devotees who find it hard to climb to the very top can leave their offerings – which are immediately taken by others going to the top. It's this unusual combination of animist belief and Hindu-Buddhist worship that characterises the worship of the volcano spirits. Shamans and Hindu priests from a small temple near the crater all play a part in celebrating the rituals associated with the Yadnya Kasada festival.

Pilgrims come to the crater from almost all the Tengger villages scattered among the mountains. They have to overcome forests, and loose sandstones, and the so-called Sand Sea covering some mountain slopes. From the summit of the volcano there is a picturesque view of the National Park, which, along with Bromo, includes the volcano Semeru (3676 meters) – the highest mountain of the Island of Java.

The ceremonial opening of Yadnya Kasada is held in one of the surrounding villages. Local officials will give speeches at the ceremony, while a regional shaman will perform ritual acts. There is also a short performance, based on the stories of the legend of this holiday, acted out for the attendees. We see how the princess and her husband called out to the volcano spirits – how the volcano spirits found them on the mountain, and took away their youngest child, in vengeance for their broken promise.

There is a l arge camp for pilgrims, located in the caldera of an extinct volcano directly adjacent to Mount Bromo. Nightlife goes on here all night during the festival – there are bonfires, hot food, with different souvenirs and devotional items on sale. It is very similar to Russian Grushin festival of bard and folk songs – and the people are very friendly!
 

The Hindu Temple at Mt Bromo holds services through the night, for pilgrims who come in small groups. There are also shamans, who have gathered from around the region. They bless the pilgrims and their sacrificial offerings to the volcano spirits. Before dawn, a procession begins from the temple to the cusp of the crater. There are many people, and it can be hard to make your way past them.

Finally the day dawns! The volcano caldera is filled with sunlight, and the Yadnya Kasada festival has begun! Once again, the ritual of casting offerings into the crater continues – caught by the others sitting further down. Most of the catchers are men – I saw only one girl among them. One catcher caught a chicken in their net! Happiness for one, and disappointment for everyone else.