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View all search results2 men drown while performing ritual in Wonogiri
The beauty of nature: Kahyangan, a tourist site where visitors often perform kungkum, a ritual involving being immersed in a river to seek blessings from God, is pictured recently
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span class="caption">The beauty of nature: Kahyangan, a tourist site where visitors often perform kungkum, a ritual involving being immersed in a river to seek blessings from God, is pictured recently. Two men drowned while they were performing kungkum at the location, with their bodies being recovered on Thursday morning. (Courtesy of pariwisata.wonogirikab.go.id)
Two men were found dead near Kahyangan, a tourist site in Tirtomoyo, Wonogiri, Central Java, on Thursday. The two victims, Hadi Sarijo, 65, and Didik Muldiyanto, 40, were suspected to have been swept away by a strong current when they were performing a kungkum (immersion) ritual in the Bengawan Solo River.
Kahyangan has long been known as a site for spiritual tourism. Hadi and Didik, who were from Punung, Pacitan, East Java, were reported missing by their families on Wednesday.
The families said Hadi and Didik told them that they planned to go to Kahyangan on Tuesday but did not return home the following day, prompting them to file a missing persons report at the Tirtomoyo Police office.
'Since Wednesday evening, together with a number of police officers, we searched for them. This morning, we found them dead,' Wonogiri Search and Rescue Agency commander Warseno said on Thursday.
He said the first victim was found at 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, around 1.5 kilometers away from a site where the men were believed to have performed the kungkum ritual. The second victim was found only around 300 meters from the ritual site at 8 a.m. The bodies of the victims were immediately removed from the scene.
Wonogiri Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) head Bambang Haryanto said the two victims were performing the ritual, involving immersing themselves in the river, when the water level suddenly increased, dragging them along with the current and resulting in their deaths.
'Several people witnessed them performing a kungkum ritual. All of the witnesses are being questioned by the police,' said Bambang.
He added that the Wonogiri BPBD had placed warning signs in several places known for hazardous conditions around Kahyangan. The area was not only prone to strong currents, which could change at any time, Bambang said, but was also at risk of landslides.
'We have put up warning signs. In several areas, we have even placed signs prohibiting visitors from entering,' he said.
Kahyangan is typically packed with tourists, especially during holidays. Apart from enjoying the area's beautiful scenery, many visitors come only to perform rituals. Local residents believe that Kahyangan is one of the petilasan (sites of ruins), where Panembahan Senopati, the founder of the Mataram Kingdom, once lived. It was rumored that the late former president Soeharto routinely visited the site to perform rituals. (ebf)
