Explained: Why Hindu worshippers are climbing an active volcano in Indonesia

As the sun rises over Mount Bromo’s beautiful surroundings, the perfume of incense and the brilliant colours of the floral arrangements fill the air. Thousands of Hindu worshippers, laden with offerings, move on a spiritual journey to an active volcano in Indonesia. They scale the towering slopes to take part in a centuries-old religious event in which they throw livestock, food, and various offerings into the smoking crater as part of the annual Yadnya Kasada festival. Hindu link to Mount Bromo On Monday, devotees swarmed the small rim of Mount Bromo’s basin, carrying goats, chickens, and vegetables draped over their backs up to the dusty peak as part of the Yadnya Kasada festival. Every year, Tengger tribe members from surrounding highlands gather at the top of the volcano — famed for its stunning sunrise views — in hope of pleasing their gods and bringing luck to the Tenggerese, an Indigenous group in eastern Java. [caption id=“attachment_12702582” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Members of the Tengger sub-ethnic group ascend the active Mount Bromo volcano to present offerings of rice, fruit, livestock and other items as part of the Yadnya Kasada festival in Probolinggo, East Java, Indonesia. AFP[/caption] The festival is observed on the 14th day of the Kasada month of the traditional Tengger calendar. According to myindiamyglory.com, a Ganesh statue also graces the top of this volcanic peak. Tenggerese Hindus have been worshipping Ganesha as their protector for hundreds of years. There are around three lakh Hindus living in 48 villages in the Tengger region surrounding Mount Bromo, according to a report in Dainik Bhaskar. Mount Bromo, named after Brahma, the Hindu god of creation, is an active volcano in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. It last erupted in July 2019, generating earthquakes and worry among highland residents. An act of gratitude Slamet, a 40-year-old farmer who like many Indonesians goes by only one name, brought a baby cow as an offering. “We have a lot of cows back home and this one can be considered excess, so we are bringing it here… to return it back to God,” he told AFP. “This is also an act of gratitude to God for giving us prosperity… We return it back to God so we can come back here next year.” The calf had a lucky escape as it was handed to a villager after Slamet’s prayers instead of being sacrificed to the volcanic cauldron. Some villagers who do not belong to the Tengger tribe took to the crater’s steep slopes equipped with nets in an attempt to intercept offerings thrown into the abyss and avoid them going to waste. [caption id=“attachment_12702572” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Villagers use nets to catch offerings thrown by members of the Tengger sub-ethnic group in the crater of the active Mount Bromo volcano as part of the Yadnya Kasada festival in Probolinggo, East Java, Indonesia. AFP[/caption] Farmer Joko Priyanto brought some of his own produce in the form of cabbages and carrots to lob down into the smoky void. “I hope I will receive a reward from the almighty God,” the 36-year-old said. Indonesia is home to more than 120 active volcanoes, along with several hundred more that are now considered extinct. ‘Better income’ Monday’s ritual was the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic that authorities had allowed tourists to the site after the festival was limited to worshippers last year. The event has its roots in 15th-Century folklore from the Majapahit kingdom, a Javanese Hindu-Buddhist empire that stretched across Southeast Asia. Legend has it that Princess Roro Anteng and her husband, unable to bear children after years of marriage, begged the gods for help. Their prayers were answered when they were promised 25 children, as long as they agreed to sacrifice their youngest child by throwing him into Mount Bromo. Their son is said to have willingly jumped into the volcano to guarantee the prosperity of the Tengger people. For shopkeeper Rohim, who travelled from a nearby Javan city on Monday to launch potatoes, leeks and cash into the lava, it was a chance to pray for good luck. He said his fortunes had improved following previous visits. “Business has been better than before, hence my coming here,” the 32-year-old said. “I’m hoping my business can improve so next year I can come back.” With inputs from AFP Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.