DIENG PLATEU - CENTRAL JAVA

Dieng Plateu (Indoensian : Dataran Tinggi Dieng), is a marshy plateu that forms the floor of a caldera complex on the Dieng active volcano complex, and is located near Wonosobo, Central Java, Indonesia.

It is the site for eight small Hindu temples from the 7th and 8th centuries, the oldest Hindu temples in Central Java, and the first known standing stone structures in Java. They are originally thought to have numbered 400 but only 8 remain.

The Dieng structures were small and relatively plain, but stone architecture developed substantially in only a matter of decades resulting in masterpieces such as the Prambanan complex and Borobudur.

The earliest architectural usage of the Javanese demonic masks and marine monsters are exhibited along the niches and doorways of the remaining structures. The name "Dieng" comes from Di Hyang which means "Abode of the Gods".

Its misty location almost 2000 m above sea level, and its mists, poisonous effusions and sulphur-coloured lakes make it a particularly auspicious place for religious tribute. The temples are small shrines built as monuments to the god-ancestors and dedicated to Shiva, rather than acting as a convenience to man.

Part of General Sudirman's guerilla campaign during Indonesian War of Independence took place in the area.


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MOUNT BROMO - EAST JAVA

Mount Bromo (Indonesian: Gunung Bromo), is an active volcano and part of the Tengger massif, in East Java, Indonesia. At 2,329 metres (7,641 ft) it is not the highest peak of the massif, but is the most well known. The massif area is one of the most visited tourist attractions in East Java, Indonesia. The volcano belongs to the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park.

Mount Bromo sits in the middle of a vast plain called the Sand Sea (Indonesian: Lautan Pasir), a protected nature reserve since 1919. The typical way to visit Mount Bromo is from the nearby mountain village of Cemoro Lawang.

From there it is possible to walk to the volcano in about 45 minutes, but it is also possible to take an organised jeep tour, which includes a stop at the viewpoint on Mount Penanjakan (2,770 meters) (Indonesian: Gunung Penanjakan). The best views from Mount Bromo to the Sand Sea below and the surrounding volcanoes are at sunrise. The viewpoint on Mount Penanjakan can also be reached on foot in about two hours. From inside the caldera, sulfur is collected by workers.

On the fourteen day of the Hindu festival of Yadnya Kasada, the Tenggerese people of Probolinggo, East Java, travel up the mountain in order to make offerings of fruit, rice, vegetables, flowers and sacrifices of livestock to the mountain gods by throwing them into the caldera of the volcano.

The origin of the ritual lies in the 15th century when a princess named Roro Anteng started the principality of Tengger with her husband, Joko Seger. However, the couple were childless and beseeched assistance from the mountain gods.

According to legend, gods granted them 24 children but stipulated that the 25th, named Kesuma, must be tossed into the volcano as a human sacrifice. The gods' request was implemented and the tradition of throwing sacrifices into the volcano to appease these ancient deities continues today. Nevertheless, some locals climb own into the crater and attempt, despite the danger, to collect the sacrificed goods in order to sustain their families.


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