Syncretist Celebrations of Imlek, Lent and Tolerance

Red-Letter Day: Catholics and Confucians join in shared celebrations across Indonesia

Jakarta Globe, Novianti Setuningsih & Carlos Paath, Feb 20, 2015

In Malang, East Java, a model in Chinese costume celebrates Lunar New Year,
which starts the Year of the Goat. (AFP Photo/Aman Rochman)

Jakarta. With the Chinese New Year coinciding with the second day of Lent, Chinese Catholics and Confucians in several cities across Indonesia staged joint ceremonies on Thursday in a show of religious tolerance.

Joint prayer ceremonies were observed at the Hallowed Cross Catholic Church in Cilincing, North Jakarta, where parishioners say the church has staged Chinese New Year celebrations for the past 10 years.

“This year’s celebration is much simpler because it coincides with our pre-Easter rituals,” said Widiyoko, the church’s Chinese New Year chief organizer.

Celebrations at the church, where 25 percent of its 6,000 members are ethnic Chinese, began at 8 a.m. with a mass and ended with a lion dance performance.

The church also gave alms to hundreds of impoverished locals, mainly Muslims.

“Events like this add to the spirit of togetherness. It makes us appreciate one another and not differentiate people based on their ethnicity or religion,” churchgoer Florentina Ninie said.

Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin wished Indonesians a prosperous Chinese New Year on Thursday, urging that celebrations be allowed to take place with tolerance.

“I think our society has already been shown to be tolerant, even though there are many religious communities who do not accustom themselves to Imlek,” said Lukman, referring to the Lunar New Year by its Indonesian name.

A similar joint celebration was also observed at the Holy Family Catholic Church in Cibinong, Bogor, according to Bogor’s bishop, Paskalis Bruno Syukur, who presided over the mass.

The Jakarta Police deployed more than 3,000 officers to boost security in the city ahead of the festivities.

The festivities at the start of the Lunar New Year are most commonly associated with ethnic Chinese, but are also celebrated by other communities, including those who identify as Korean (who call it Seollal) and Vietnamese (who speak of Tet).

During the 32-year rule of the late strongman Suharto, the festivities for the start of the Lunar New Year, as well as other expressions of Chinese cultural identity, were banned.

In 2001, then-president Abdurrahman Wahid, popularly known as Gus Dur, revoked the discriminatory regulations and in 2002, then-president Megawati Soekarnoputri declared Chinese New Year a national holiday; it was celebrated as such for the first time in 2003.

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caught the eye of US Secretary of State John Kerry, who praised

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"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems  (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it),  Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse),  Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

“.   New Tolerance

Look for a softening of finger pointing and an awakening of new tolerance. There will remain many systems for different cultures, as traditions and history are important to sustaining the integrity of culture. So there are many in the Middle East who would follow the prophet and they will continue, but with an increase of awareness. It will be the increase of awareness of what the prophet really wanted all along - unity and tolerance. The angel in the cave instructed him to "unify the tribes and give them the God of Israel." You're going to start seeing a softening of intolerance and the beginning of a new way of being.

Eventually, this will create an acknowledgement that says, "You may not believe the way we believe, but we honor you and your God. We honor our prophet and we will love you according to his teachings. We don't have to agree in order to love." How would you like that? The earth is not going to turn into one belief system. It never will, for Humans don't do that. There must be variety, and there must be the beauty of cultural differences. But the systems will slowly update themselves with increased awareness of the truth of a new kind of balance. So that's the first thing. Watch for these changes, dear ones. ...."

Bull sarcophagi burn in Bali Hindu mass cremation

Google – AFP, 2 Sep 2013

Sarcophagus resembling a bull and containing human remains burn during

a mass cremation ceremony, September 2, 2013 (AFP, Sonny Tumbelaka)

GIANYAR, Indonesia — Scores of people were cremated in a colourful Hindu ceremony on the Indonesian island of Bali Monday, with crowds of mourners watching as bull-shaped sarcophagi went up in flames.

Mourners handed out flowers and threw chickens from a tower during the ceremony, which saw 63 bodies cremated on an island that is a pocket of strong Hindu beliefs in Muslim-majority Indonesia.

It took place in Gianyar regency, east of the island's cultural centre Ubud, after days of elaborate rituals. Traditional Hindu beliefs dictate that cremation will take the deceased to the after-life or reincarnation.

Mass cremations are common in Bali, where Hindu beliefs remain strong despite the island's transformation into a tourist mecca, and are held for poor families who cannot afford the ritual-heavy ceremonies alone.

Some of the people cremated on Monday had died up to five years ago.

"Cremation is an obligation for all Hindus so our spirits can be returned to nature," said Jero Mangku Sangging, the Hindu cleric leading the ceremony.

Fifteen families had paid for sarcophaguses carved in the shape of bulls -- an animal that is sacred in Hinduism -- to adorn the corpses.

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"Perceptions of God" – June 6, 2010 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Quantum Teaching, The Fear of God, Near-death Experience, God Becomes Mythology, Worship, Mastery, Intelligent Design, Benevolent Creator,Global Unity.... etc.) (Text version)

“… When a Human almost dies, they get close to the veil, very close. They are ever so close to the creator's energy and just barely touched by it. When their heart was stopping and their breathing was almost gone, before they were brought back to life with science, they got to touch the hand of God for just an instant. What they saw was magnificent! The energy before them was filled with love and light, filled with family, filled with beauty. There was no strife there. There was no punishment there or even the hint of it. And when they came back from that experience, listen to what they told you. It changed their lives, didn't it? Listen to each one talk about it, for they continued to say, "There is nothing to fear and death is something you experience as a normal transition." Blessed is the Human Being who experiences both death and birth and has the wisdom to report, "Oh, it's uncomfortable, but I'll get through it, because I've done it before." The person who has experienced a near-death experience is no longer afraid to die! What does that tell you? They have seen what is there and they embrace it! …”


"THE THREE WINDS" – Feb 23-24, 2013 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Humanity, Home - other side of the veil, Wind of Birth - Birth, Wind of Existence - Life, Wind of Transition - Death) - (Text version)


"THE RECALIBRATION OF BELIEF"– Aug 18, 2013 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - New

12 Children Die in Aceh Bridge Collapse During Luck Ceremony

Jakarta Globe, June 07, 2010

Banda Aceh. Twelve Indonesian children died when a suspension bridge collapsed as they were taking part in a traditional ceremony to dispel bad luck, an official said on Monday.

The accident took place on Sunday in a remote village in Aceh province, district head Ibnu Hasyim said.

“There were about 37 kids gathered together on a wire-cable suspension bridge when it collapsed and they fell into a river,” he said.

Twenty-five children were rescued with minor injuries but 12 others, all below the age of 12, were swept away in the strong currents.

The children were watching a ritual ceremony to dispel misfortune after a measles outbreak in the area.

“The adults were throwing offerings in the form of chickens into the river” when the bridge collapsed, the official said.

Agence France-Presse

Feuding Buddhists Unite for Waisak Rites in Borobudur

Jakarta Globe, Candra Malik, May 28, 2010

A monk at the Waisak ceremony, commemorating Buddha’s birth, death and enlightenment, at Borobudur Temple. (JG Photo/Boy T Harjanto)

Magelang. Thousands of faithful Buddhists from previously contentious communities flocked to the majestic Borobudur Temple on Friday in a show of unity to mark the annual Waisak holiday, celebrating the Buddha’s birth, death and enlightenment.

The two sparring congregations had never before celebrated the day together.

The Indonesian Buddhist Council (Walubi) and the Buddhist Conference of the Mighty Sangha Indonesia (KASI), the country’s two major Buddhist associations, previously took turns hosting celebrations at the ninth-century temple on alternate years, but temple manager Pudjo Suwarno said this year marked a thaw in relations.

“We’re thankful they chose to celebrate Waisak together in the temple courtyard,” he said, adding they had put aside their ideological differences for the day.

Waisak is held to commemorate the three great moments of the life of Gautama Buddha: his birth, nirvana and death.

Celebrations began at 6:07 a.m. with the “Puja Bhakti” meditation and ended at 2 p.m. with the “Bhakti Puja” meditation.

In between, participants took part in separate parades whose routes were determined by Walubi and KASI.

Walubi members began at the entrance to Borobudur, went down Jalan Sampula, Jalan Raya Syailendra, the Borobudur Market and on to the western edge of Borobudur.

KASI members, meanwhile, started at the midway point between Mendut and Pawon temples before ending at the southeast edge of Borobudur.

The morning mediation was led by Bhiku Samira Paramita Sabhita, who spoke on the theme of “Building the Character of Nations to Implement Dharma by Spreading the Seeds of Goodness.”

“Being human is the most beautiful gift,” he said. “However, abstaining from hatred, envy and acts of stupidity is a very heavy task. Let us always strive to do good.”

A group of 150 monks from Thailand was to attend the event but few came, due to the political turmoil in the country.

“Only 30 pilgrims from the Sangha Theravada and Damayut monasteries showed up at Borobudur,” said Walubi Central Java chairman David Hermanwijaya.

The runup to the celebration began on Monday, when monks took holy water from Umbul Jumprit Lake on the slopes of Mount Sindoro, two hours by car from Borobudur.

Unlike in previous years, the holy water was taken to Borobudur Temple instead of being stored at Mendut Temple, where it was used in prayer ceremonies led in turn by monks from the Sangha Mahayana, Theravada and Tantrayana monasteries.

The Indonesian Sangha Mahayana abbot of Avalokitesvara Monastery in Jakarta, Dwi Virya, said the holy water symbolized the Buddha’s humbleness.

“Pride will only bring harm to ourselves and others,” he said.

On Tuesday, monks brought back a fire from an eternal flame in nearby Mrapen, Purwodadi.

“Fire is a symbol of enlightenment for the human soul to attain nirvana,” Virya said.

On Friday, monks sprinkled holy water on worshipers after the morning meditation, and at night participants lit candles and lanterns.

Police said 10,000 people took part in Friday’s celebration.

Keeping it real

The Jakarta Post | Tue, 01/26/2010 11:19 AM

Men from the Kamoro tribe play the tifa drum during a thanksgiving ceremony at the Santo Stefanus Church in Mimika, Papua, on Sunday. The drum and its use in various ceremonies are an integral part of the tribe’s culture. JP/Markus Makur

Mahendradatta award goes to Gus Dur

The Jakarta Post | Sun, 01/17/2010 10:01 PM

The family of former RI president Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid on Sunday received the Mahendradatta award on Wahid’s behalf, from the University of Mahendradatta, for his contribution to protecting minorities.

Gus Dur’s daughter, Inayah Wulandari Wahid, said she was expecting public to uphold the principles of democracy and justice that her father had fought for.

University Rector Shri Gusti Ngurah Arya Wedakarna said the cleric had inspired the country to achieve noble goals.

“His example was clearly seen in how he protected minorities, such as Hindu, Christian and Chinese people,” Shri said as quoted by tempointeraktif.com during a ceremony to hand over the award, at the university in Denpasar, Bali.

Gus Dur passed away at Cipto Mangunkusumo hospital in Central Jakarta last month. He was buried in his hometown of Jember, East Java. (ewd)

Bringing the Fine Art of Good Tea to Jakarta

Jakarta Globe, Tasa Nugraza Barley

Tea lovers from Pecinta Teh exploring the many ways to enjoy a cup in Jakarta. (Photo courtesy of Pecinta Teh)

Jakartans know their way around coffee. The abundance of international chains around the city like Starbucks, the Coffee Bean and Gloria Jean’s, as well as local coffee houses like Bakoel Koffie, Bengawan Solo and Anomali, is proof of this.

But try asking the city’s residents what their favorite tea is.

“Most people might answer teh botoh [bottled tea],” said Bambang Laresolo, a member of Pecinta Teh, or Tea Lovers, a local organization dedicated to appreciation of the beverage.

According to Bambang, specialty coffees have become identified with a more upscale lifestyle, while tea is still generally seen as an everyday drink. He added that the availability of various brands of bottled tea, including at traditional food vendors in the streets, is an indication of the different way tea has become part of the culture.

“It’s too bad that we Indonesians only drink low-quality tea,” said Ratna Somantri, who founded the organization that seeks to increase awareness of the beverage in Indonesia in May 2007. Because of her parents, Ratna, an auditor by profession, has always loved tea.

Her mother, a big tea drinker, showed her the Javanese way of drinking tea using traditional teapots and cups, as well as tea from orchids with no sugar. Her Indonesian-Chinese father has also nurtured her love for the beverage. “My father’s relatives were loyal tea drinkers.”

Ratna said that although she still drinks coffee and other beverages, she prefers tea because of the uniquely different sensation it offers. She is even skilled enough to be able to differentiate the good from the bad.

So what makes tea good? Ratna said high-quality tea was characterized by a pleasing aroma and strong taste. “Some tea products are even treated like wine. The longer they are kept, the better taste they have,” she said.

Pecinta Teh wants to encourage more Indonesians to enjoy the local high-quality tea products that are mostly exported to other countries.

“We have many high-quality tea products, such as teh ulung from Bengkulu, which is exported to Taiwan. But it’s too bad the local market can’t enjoy it,” Bambang said.

The group, which has about 250 members who actively interact online, has a mailing list where love of the beverage is shared. The community also holds monthly events at different venues.

“During the event, we usually do a tea tasting, trade tea products and other interesting things related to tea,” Ratna said.

She added that it would probably take a while before high-quality tea becomes accepted in the mainstream. She cited the case of a major tea producer who introduced a quality tea product selling for Rp 54,000 ($6) for a package of 10 sachets.

The tea was deemed expensive by the public. “That’s not expensive at all. True high-quality tea can be sold at Rp 1 million per kilogram,” Ratna said.

Bambang explained that the key differentiator of teas was how they were produced. Categorized based on the oxidation process that the leaves undergo then they are chemically combined with oxygen, these teas include white, green, black and oolong.

Bambang said the less oxidation, the better the tea. Many consider white tea the best since it is barely oxidized. “When mixed with water, white tea is very clear. It smells very good and has a very soft texture,” Bambang said.

“But no one can really claim that one tea is better than another because it’s all about preference, after all.”

For her part, Ratna always makes it a point to buy tea when she travels abroad. She finds this both fun and educational because she learns about a country’s culture through its tea.

Although tea originated from China, Ratna said “drinking tea is a serious business in Japan” because of its intricate tea ceremonies.

One is the chanoyu , performed in a special room where they have ikebana , or floral arrangements, and painting. They also wear a special kimono for the ceremony.

Ratna said the culture of drinking tea in Indonesia was introduced by the Chinese while they traded in the islands and the Dutch when they occupied the country.

“When we welcome guests or talk to others, we drink tea,” Ratna said. “It’s a casual moment.”

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The 'Grebeg Besar' Attracts Tourists

Kompas, SATURDAY, 28 NOVEMBER 2009 | 4:18 PM

Grebeg Besar procession, parading the heaps of offerings (gunungan) - Kompas/Ferganata Indra Riatmoko

YOGYAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The traditional ceremony bearing the full name 'Grebeg Besar Keraton Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat', which is held during the Moslem holiday of Idul Adha (1430 Hijriah this year), Saturday, attracted a number of foreign tourists in Yogyakarta.

They enthusiastically followed the whole traditional procession, and once in a while captured it in photos or videos. The procession was also spectated by the citizens of Yogyakarta and its surroundings despite the heat of the day.

The Grebeg Besar ceremony is a procession of four gunungans (heaps of offerings, 'gunungan' comes from the root meaning of mountain or heap), each called lanang (which represents the male), wadon (female), gepak, and pawuhan. All four are brought out from the Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat palace then paraded through Siti Hinggil, Pagelaran, the North Town square (alun-alun) and finally to the Kauman Great Mosque, Yogyakarta.

A gunungan is made from food-stuffs, such as vegetables, nets, chilis, eggs, sweet potato, and other things made of sticky rice and made into the likeness of a mountain, to symbolize prosperity and fertility for the Mataram palace territories. The gunungan parade, led by a Manggoloyudho (war admiral) G.B.P.H. Yudhaningrat, was saluted with rifles shots by the palace guards when it exited the palace and proceeded through the North Alun-alun.

The gunungan procession was accompanied by nine royal guards, among which were Wirobrojo, Ketanggung, Bugis, Daeng, Patangpuluh, and Nyutro. They wore uniforms of various colors and wielded spears, keris (the Javanese curved dagger), and old-fashioned rifles.

Next the gunungans were brought to the Kauman Great Mosque, Yogyakarta, to be blessed by the palace clerics. Then the peak of the event was when the gunungans were given to the gathering people, who waited patiently since morning at the mosque's courtyard, so that they could rush to grab any piece of the gunungans.

The people who got pieces of the gunungans believe that every piece brings the blessing of the King of the Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat palace, Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono, and that it would bless their lives.

The Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat palace throughout a year holds three kinds of traditional grebeg events, which are the Grebeg Syawal during Idul Fitri; Grebeg Besar during Idul Adha; and Grebeg Maulud during the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad SAW.

The chairman of the Widya Budaya foundation of Yogyakarta, Widi Utamingsih, said that the Grebeg events by the Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat palace are cultural heritages that attract locals and foreigners. The traditional event should be presented as an interesting tourism package that also preserves this culture as one of the lifestyle of the Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat palace.

This cultural spectacle is a potential attraction for national and international tourists. Especially since the Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat palace is part of the golden triangle ot tourism around West Java and Yogyakarta for foreign tourists. (acandra/C17-09)

Editor: ksp , Source : ANT

Early celebration

The Jakarta Post | Sat, 09/19/2009 12:51 PM

Early celebration: Followers of An Nadzir Islamic group hug each other after performing Idul Fitri prayer in Somba Opu district in the South Sulawesi regency of Gowa. The group celebrated Idul Fitri on Saturday, earlier than the rest of Muslims nationwide. - JP/Andi Haramur

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I got a goat

The Jakarta Post, Tue, 09/08/2009 9:49 PM

A member of the Tengger tribe, Lasmi Buwono, looks at a goat she received during Sunday’s Kasada ceremony at Bromo crater, Probolinggo, East Java. (JP/Indra Harsaputra)

Glory on the mountain

The Jakarta Post | Fri, 04/10/2009 3:30 PM

A group of Catholics in Gandul Mountain, Wonogiri, West Java, participate in a live illustration of a biblical event when Jesus was about to be crucified by the Romans. The event was part of an Easter celebration to commemorate the crucifixion. (Antara/Akbar Nugroho)

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A birthday serve

The Jakarta Post   |   Mon, 03/09/2009 8:10 PM  
 

 A birthday serve: A palace official takes a photograph of his friends carrying a huge ceremonial rice cone in the North Square of Yogyakarta Palace on Monday. Thousands joined the Garebeg Maulud celebrations, commemorating the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. JP/Tarko Sudiarno

Imlek in Aceh

The Jakarta Post | Mon, 01/26/2009 5:17 PM

Imlek in Aceh: Chinese Indonesians light candles and incense at Vihara Dharma Bakti in Banda Aceh on Monday, to celebrate the first day of the Chinese Year of the Ox. Aceh is the only province in Indonesia with local regulations that conform to sharia, an Islamic legal code. (JP/Hotli Simanjuntak)

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Jakarta glee as ex-student rises to top of the class

Lisa Murray, theage.com.au, January 22, 2009
 

Joy: Indonesians and Americans watch the inauguration ceremony in Jakarta. Photo: Reuters

THE Star-Spangled Banner rang out from Barack Obama's old primary school in central Jakarta yesterday as the US President's former classmates celebrated his inauguration. 

About 250 students from Fransiskus Asisi Catholic school, which a young Barack Obama attended during his four years in Indonesia through to mid-1971, stayed up until midnight on Tuesday to watch the inauguration speech on a big screen in their school hall. 

At a Friends of Obama ball at the Ritz Carlton, an audio message from his Indonesian half-sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, was played to the audience, while a letter from Mr Obama to Indonesia was read out by a friend. 

"My childhood years in Jakarta provided me with many lessons and memories that I carry with me to this day," the letter said. "I have heard through my sister Maya that many of you have expressed support for the change that has come and for that, I am grateful." 

At Jalan Besuki school yesterday, old photos of Barack Obama as a third grader were displayed along with posters of a map, depicting his move from the small street in Menteng to Pennsylvania Avenue. 

"We are just so proud that someone from our class could become president of the United States and deliver such a great speech," former classmate Deby Sadrach told The Age. 

"This school was part of his extraordinary development," said another, Dewi Asmara Oetojo, now an MP in Indonesia's parliament. 

The US ambassador to Indonesia, Cameron Hume, said at the event that he expected Mr Obama would visit the country this year, though there were no firm plans. There had been some speculation that Jakarta might be on the President's agenda for the first 100 days of his presidency after his aides said in December that he planned to make a major foreign policy speech in an Islamic capital. 

But Jakarta is competing with the likes of Cairo, Baghdad and Islamabad, which commentators say are closer to the action. 

"Obviously he has a history (in Indonesia) and a degree of familiarity with and affection for the country," said Indonesia analyst Damien Kingsbury, from the School of International Political Studies at Deakin University, "but strategically he would be better off going to the Middle East." 

John Virgoe from the International Crisis Group in Jakarta said a visit to Indonesia "would be a powerful message that America recognises that the Muslim world is more than just a series of dictatorships and conflicts in the Middle East". 

About 100 people marched to the embassy in Jakarta yesterday to hand over a letter urging Mr Obama to close down Guantanamo Bay. 

With KARUNI ROMPIES

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The Jakarta Post, Washington | Wed, 01/21/2009 10:37 AM  

Dancing queen: President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama dance at the Commander in Chief Inaugural Ball at the National Building Museum in Washington, Tuesday. AP/Charles Dharapak

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HARVEST THANKS

The Jakarta Post  |  Sun, 01/11/2009 4:42 PM  |  Jakarta
 

HARVEST THANKS: People carry unhusked rice to offer up at a Seren Tuan thanksgiving ceremony in Sindangbarang village, Bogor, West Java, on Sunday. The ceremony gives local people the opportunity to express their gratitude to the gods and their ancestors for the good harvest they have had this year. JP/J. Adiguna

FOR THE GRACE OF A GODDESS

The Jakarta Post | Sun, 01/04/2009 10:30 AM 

Students and teachers take part in Saraswati prayer ceremony at their school temple in Denpasar on Saturday. The ceremony, dedicated to the goddess of Knowledge, Saraswati, is held every six months. (JP/Zul Trio Anggono)

Christmas Celebration

Antara, Monday 15 December 

Australian Renae Lawrence (middle), a 20-year convict of a heroin smuggling case, lits a candle during a Christmas celebration in the Kerobokan Prison of Denpasar, Bali, on Monday (12/15). As many as 56 inmates in the prison will get sentence remittances because of Christmas celebrations. (ANTARA/Nyoman Budhiana)

Indonesians appease mountain gods with sacrifices

The Jakarta Post, The Associated Press, Mount Bromo, East Java 

Indonesian legend has it that six centuries ago, a princess hurled her youngest child into a fiery volcano to appease mountain gods who had granted her fertility. 

Today thousands of pilgrims flock to Mount Bromo on East Java each year to offer the spirits food, live animals and money and ask for prosperity and health. Bromo, a 2,329-meter volcano, is one of Java's most popular tourist attractions. 

Villagers use their sarongs to catch offerings thrown by Hindu worshippers during
Kasada festival at Mount Bromo, East Java, Monday. (AP/Dita Alangkara)

The poor arrive days ahead of the ceremony, carrying fishing nets to catch money and anything edible. They camp under tarps in the crater atop the mountain's chilly slopes. 

Yadnya Kasada, as the ritual is known, started in the 15th century in the final days of the Majapahit Hindu empire

As the story goes, Princess Roro Anteng and her husband, Joko Seger, settled in the foothills of the volcano. 

Unable to have children, the ruling couple went in despair to pray to the mountain gods who, according to the tale, agreed to help in exchange for the ultimate sacrifice of their last child. 

The couple consented and had 25 children. But when the time came to give up their son, they refused and the gods became furious. They threatened disaster and the destruction of the village unless the couple made good on the deal. 

Kesuma, as the boy was named, was flung into the depths of Mount Bromo. The dying child is believed to have called out to villagers to visit the mountain each year and bring gifts to express their gratitude. 

Indonesia straddles the "Pacific Ring of Fire," a system of fault lines stretching across the tropical archipelago, that give it more active volcanoes than any other country. Bromo usually roars to life once a year, often blasting pumice, smoke and ash into the sky. The last major eruption in 2004 killed two hikers.

Hindus flock Sakenan temple in Kuningan

Irawaty Wardany, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar

Scorching midday heat on Saturday failed to stop thousands of Hindu devotees from flocking to the ancient Sakenan temple on Serangan island to commemorate the Kuningan festival.

Kuningan is the second largest of a series of festivals held twice a year to celebrate the victory of Dharma (virtue) against Adharma (vice). Kuningan falls ten days after the celebration of Galungan, the largest festival.

Galungan and Kuningan commemorate the victory of the heavenly army led by Lord Indra in the military campaign against Bali's atheist ruler King Mayadenawa.

"Galungan is the day of victory, the day for joyous celebration, while Kuningan is the day of a renewed pledge, the day when we declare our allegiance to the gods and our commitment to steadfastly defend the precepts of Dharma," Balinese scholar Sugi Lanus said.

The ancient temple of Sakenan, some 20 kilometers east of Denpasar, is the island's most popular Kuningan's pilgrimage site. In the old days, people had to walk across a shallow body of water or board a small boat to reach Serangan, the tiny island that hosts the temple, but now a wide, two-lane road and a concrete bridge connect the island with mainland Bali.

People started heading to the island early in the morning, resulting in a traffic jam and a long queue in front of the temple's main gate.

"Kuningan is always like this in here. On Friday, the number of devotees were so large that we had to ask them to take turn in presenting their offerings. Moreover, we had to hold several prayer sessions to accommodate them," a member of the temple's committee said.

The male devotees were mostly dressed in white shirts, batik sarongs and white destar (a headscarf), while female devotees wore colorful kebaya and batik sarongs. The women also carried colorful offerings of fruits, cakes, flowers and incenses.

"Kuningan is a festival in the series of Galungan commemorations and people usually place weapons in their offerings as a symbol of their willingness to fight their vices," Bendesa (a traditional customary village head) Serangan I Wayan Astawa told The Jakarta Post at the temple Saturday.

He said that Saturday was also the day of the temple's anniversary, the Pujawali or Piodalan.

"This fact has further increased the number of people who are coming to the temple today," he said.

Serangan island and Sakenan temple, he added, were closely connected to two of Bali's great sages; Danghyang Astapaka and Danghyang Nirartha. The latter was the founder of the social and religious structure that still survives today.

"That's another reason why people from all over Bali come to this place on Kuningan," Astawa added.

Astawa said that to deal with the increasing number of pilgrims, the temple's committee had introduced a new system, using queue cards for people who wanted to pray in the shrine.

"But that only worked for the first few hours, the rest... you can see fir yourself," he said, nodding at the disorganized ocean of people in front of the temple.

"It seems that we should evaluate this system to devise a better way of organizing these people," he said.

Inside the temple, people were being led in prayer by Hindu priests who chanted holy mantras during the ceremony as the fragrant mist of incense filled the air.

At one point in the festival, several local dancers performed the Arjuna Wiwaha dance drama from the great Hindu epic the Mahabharata and narrated the trials and tribulations of Arjuna as he searched for the Pasupati, the ultimate weapon.

"Performing arts and music have always been an integral part of Balinese Hinduism's rituals. They serve two main purposes; to entertain the visiting deities as well as to inspire devotees to follow the path of Dharma," Sugi Lanus said.

Kuningan is also a good time for Balinese street vendors.

The road to the Sakenan temple was lined on both sides by street vendors selling cold soft drinks, traditional heavy meals like tuna satay or suckling pig to pirated VCDs and cheap children's toys.

Rustam, a beverage vendor, said that he was always moved temporarily to the area around Sakenan temple every Galungan and Kuningan.

"On a day like this I can double my income," said the vendor, who usually works in front of an elementary school in Denpasar.