Each year people from the Tengger tribe gather from the surrounding highlands to cast fruit, vegetables, flowers, and even livestock into Mount Bromo’s smoking crater. /AFP
Thousands of locals and tourists climbed Mount Bromo early Sunday for a lavish religious ceremony that involves throwing ritual offerings into the smouldering crater of an active volcano in Indonesia’s tribal hinterlands.
Each year people from the Tengger tribe gather from the surrounding highlands to cast fruit, vegetables, flowers, and even livestock such as goats and chickens into Mount Bromo’s smoking crater as part of the Yadnya Kasada festival.
Other villagers — not members of the Tengger tribe — try to catch the offerings before they disappear into the billowing smoke using nets and sarong.
This is not technically part of the ritual but reflects local frugal urges not to waste the offerings.
The month-long Yadnya Kasada festival harkens back to the 15th century legends of Majapahit kingdom princess Roro Anteng and husband Joko Seger.
Unable to bear children, the couple begged the gods for help.
Their prayers were answered and they were promised 25 children, as long as they agreed to sacrifice their youngest child by throwing him into Mount Bromo.
Legend has it this son willingly jumped into the volcano to guarantee the prosperity of the Tengger people.