TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Cilacap resident stumbles upon site of ancient Padjadjaran Kingdom
An archeological site, supposedly part of the ancient kingdom of Padjarjaran, has been found in Gunung Padang area in Salebu village, Majenang district, Cilacap regency in Central Java
Change Size
An archeological site, supposedly part of the ancient kingdom of Padjarjaran, has been found in Gunung Padang area in Salebu village, Majenang district, Cilacap regency in Central Java.
A local resident, Kholiq, unintentionally, found piles of construction materials made from river stones after clearing thick grass on the site early this month.
Local residents call these piles Batu Pabahanan or stones for construction.
"We predict that the total numbers of the stones will be thousands," said Khozan Ahmad, 35, Salebu village's head, on Friday, adding that the site could only be reached by a one-hour walk from the motorcycle parking lot.
Besides these piles which are 24 meters wide and hundreds of meters in length, Khozan said the residents had also found batu bedil (gun-like stone), batu ranjang (stone-made bed), batu teropong (stone-made telescope), batu pendopo (stone-made hall), and a cave and waterfall.
"Previously, Gunung Padang area is well known to pilgrims as the sacred burial site of Ki Hajar Sakti. He was the most powerful public figure from Padjadjaran," said Khozan.
He added, "Only those, who have a strong heart are brave enough to come closer to the sacred cemetery".
"Currently, we are still taking an intensive look at the site. We want to know its relationship with the kingdom of Padjadjaran," said Majenang district's head Heru Susedyo, adding that the Padjadjaran Kingdom and the Majapahit Kingdom existed in the same historical period.
He said that several institutions, such as the Tourism Agency as well as the Cultural and Education Agency, from Cilacap administration, had investigated the site.
"We have sent letters to the Ancient Archeological Heritage Agency (BPPP) in Solo, Central Java, asking them to conduct a further assessment," Heru said.
"We are also looking at Padjadjaran history through a social group in Tasikmalaya, West Java. This way, we have found that Ki Hajar Sakti was the father of Prabu Siliwangi, the famous Padjadjaran's king," he said.
Heru said the administration had called everyone who wanted to visit the site to inform the local authority, in order to protect the site from irresponsible people.
"The administration has decided to preserve and develop the site for the purpose of education and tourism".
