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Kasada: Ritual & Sacrifice High in the Clouds
Rays of light: A long-exposure view of Mt
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span class="caption">Rays of light: A long-exposure view of Mt. Bromo and Mt. Batok during the Yadnya Kasada ceremony in Probolinggo, East Java, which is held every 14th day of the Kasda month in the Hindu lunar calendar.
The Mount Bromo National Park in East Java is best known for its beautiful highlands and sea sands. The national park's unique landscape comprises three active volcanoes: Semeru, Java's highest mountain at 3,676 meters above sea level; Bromo, at 2,383 meters and Tengger at 2,770 meters.
At the Pura Luhur Poten temple compound, situated 2,390 meters above sea level at the foot of Mt. Bromo, the slow beat of Javanese drums blends with traditional hymns to create a mystical atmosphere while Tengger Hindu youths and elders arrive in colorful attire. Thousands of Tengger people, some of who arrived the previous evening, patiently wait for the sacred ceremony of Yadnya Kasada to begin. Sitting side-by-side together on the temple floor and uttering incantations, 27 priests representing all the Tengger villages conduct mass prayers calling the Creator to bless the offerings before they are thrown into the crater.
Yadnya Kasada is the biggest ritual in terms of scale, and the main ceremony of the Tenggerese in Probolinggo regency, East Java. Once a year, Hindu Tengger people climb to the Mt. Bromo summit to give offerings in the form of fruits, vegetables, money and livestock for the mountain gods by throwing them into the crater. The ceremony is held every 14th day of the Kasada month in the traditional Hindu lunar calendar to honor Ida Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa (The One and Almighty God).
'This is an expression of the Tenggerese community to thank God and His gift to our long life' said Misnatu, 37, a resident of Cemorolawang village.
According to Tenggerese legend, Kasada was inherited from their ancestors who were royal descendants of the Majapahit kingdom in the 14th century. The ruling king Brawijaya had his daughter Roro Anteng married to Joko Seger, a descendent of Brahmana line. When Islam spread across Java, many Hindu followers fled to Bali while others relocated to the mountainous area near Mt. Bromo under the royal couple's leadership.
After unsuccessfully trying to have children, the pair retreated to the jungle and asked the Creator for assistance in conceiving. Their request was granted with the sole condition that their youngest was to be offered as a sacrifice at the mountain's crater.
After having 25 children, the pair hid them inside a cave in an attempt to evade sacrificing their youngest, Raden Kusuma. One day a flash fire drove the children out of the cave and led the youngest to the crater, triggering rumors the sacrifice to Ida Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa was at last going to take place.
Prior to the sacrifice, Raden Kusuma sent a message to all his siblings and other citizens to live peacefully and dedicate their lives to God. Another of his requests was that they annually perform the thanksgiving ceremony in the 12th month, or Kasada, of the year by throwing part of their harvest down the crater.
Thanksgiving: Tenggerese priests pray in Widodaren cave during the Yadnya Kasada ceremony in Probolinggo, East Java. Yadnya Kasada is the biggest ceremony in Tenggerese culture.
Blessings: A Tenggerese priest prays in Widodaren cave during the Yadnya Kasada ceremony in Probolinggo, East Java.
Royal entourage: Tengger people walk to a temple as they perform the Melasti (purification) ritual during the Yadnya Kasada ceremony in Probolinggo, East Java.
' Text and Photos and Agung Parameswara
