Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park

Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park

One of the most exciting places in Java is the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. Located in East Java, the park consists of six volcanos in total.  Only Mt Bromo and Mt Semeru are active stratovolcanos, all others extinct.

The caldera gives a fascinating insight into the geology and the forces which shape our earth. Not only for millions of years in the past but even for today. The tremendous evolutionary processes still continue. In fact, both Bromo and Semeru gave their names for the national park. While Tengger comes from the name of the community living around the caldera.

To stay on top of an active volcano crater and look in its throat is great experience. Everybody  can feel from such a place the force that shapes our earth. Watching the sunrise and climbing up the volcano Mt Bromo is an unforgettable adventure.

All five volcanos except Semeru are surrounded by a vast area of ash and sand.  The place is called the Tengger Sand Sea. However, encircled by a crater wall, both parts together form the Tengger Caldera. The crater wall as it exists today remains a former giant collapsed supervolcano.

As in many other places around Java, Mt Bromo has its own legend. The story tells that a giant creates the Sea of Sand in only one night. All in all, that was one of the preconditions to marrying a local girl. However, the Tengger people are Hindus with the same roots as the Balinese people.

Finally, the name Bromo comes from Brahma one of the Hindu gods. In honour of Brahma and other Hindu gods, there is the Hindu temple Poten at the foot of Mt Bromo. The holy festival is Upacara Kasada. Held each full moon in the twelfth month of the Tenggerese calendar.

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