Feel the Experience on the Top of Ancient Volcano

Jogjakarta was known as the place for most decade volcanoes, Merapi, at Sleman regency. There is only few person know that there is another volcano, it was placed at Yogyakarta either, it is more old then Merapi volcano. The Ancient Volcano was located at Gunungkidul regency. They named it Nglanggeran mount. The mount located at Nglanggeran, Patuk, Gunungkidul, it’s about 22 km from Wonosari or 25 km from Jogjakarta city.

You can reach this side by two routes, first from Jogja – Piyungan – Patuk - Ngoro-oro – Nglanggeran, second route from east whether from Klaten/Ngawen or Wonosari – Sambipitu (putat) – Bobung – Nganggeran. Each route have twisted good road with the mountain panoramic as a bonus. If you choose first route, when you get Patuk crossroad, from Yogyakarta, you ought to turn left and ride for 7 km more to get Nglanggeran.

The age of this mount was about 6 million years, long time before Merapi volcano started its activity. This Mount has height 200m-700m from sea level. The name Nglanggeran itself comes from the tales of local citizen. They told it came from Javanese word “Planggaran” that mean infraction. The people did infraction or another bad attitude on this area, always caught or known by community. Another term of Javanese word connected either to this name; the word is “Langgeng” that mean eternal.

Beside the name Nglanggeran, this mount sometimes called mount Wayang. Wayang mean puppet. This is because there’s some peak that similar with the figure on the Javanese Puppet or component to shows the shadows puppet. The people around this mount belief that Nglanggeran was protected by figure of Kyai Ongko Wijoyo and the Punokawan (Semar, Gareng, Petruk and Bagong). Punokawan was the groups of servant that guide the knights of Pandawa (from Mahabarata story) to the superiority of life.

Nglanggeran was composed of many peak and point and they have their own myth according to the local people. The point of interest of Nglanggeran was: mount Kelir, the Comberan spring, mount Gedhe, mount Bongos, mount Blencong, mount Buchu, lake Wungu, and Lake Mardhido. Here found the strange medicine plants either name Termas.

Mount Kelir named as it shape, the wall of the peak was similar with “Kelir” a screen to perform the shadows puppet. People belief that here the place of Kyai Ongko Wijoyo and the Punokawan lives. The Spring of Comberan lies on the high of mount Nglanggeran. This spring was never off of the water even though while summer. People belief the one who wash his/her face with this water from the lake, they will get ageless. Mount Gedhe as its name was the biggest and the top of Nglanggeran Mountain. From here you can enjoy the great panoramic of these are, include Jogjakarta and the green of Bunder forest at south, the green and streaky rice fields, and many television tower at west. It is the favorite place for photographer and the hiker to get rest and built tents. Mount Bongos and Blencong was one unity, the Blencong was known at Javanese culture as a light on the shadows puppet performance. From this blencong, the shadows of puppets were performing on the “Kelir” the giant screen for this permofance.

The myth told that Tlogo Wungu was hidden from usual person. Only the person who has the clean hearth and did the “lelaku” a ritual to clean the body and the heart can see this mystical lake. The people only told that this lake was located at the east of mount Nglanggeran. This lake was belief as the place for goddess to take a bath. They leave their flying horse at Mardhido Lake, here there is a footprint of the flying horse on the stone, people belief it is the foot print of one of them.

There’s myth here that Nglanggeran Mountain was circled by a giant dragon. The dragon was sacred and could heal all of the disease. The dragon was now belief as a strange plant that spiral like the snake that can produce a healing liquid. Only the special person can perform the ritual to get the water out of the plants. The plants named Termas.

Actually there are many other myths here, like if people perform the shadows puppet, the puppeteers have to face the mountain, and the north zone of this mountain was denied to perform the shadows puppet. But if you wish to get more myth there, let’s get yourself there and talk to native person.

The entrance of the area now was built a Joglo, a Javanese architecture. You can prepare for the climbs here. There is footpath and three shelters to get the top of the mountain, each shelter gives beautiful scenery. If you wish to climb this mountain, I suggest you use shoes not sandals. The wall of these peaks was very suitable for rock climbing. In fact, there is no one person can conquer the top of mount Blencong, it is the most challenge here for local or foreign rock climber. If you see the photos beside, maybe you will say:” it’s the heaven of Rock climber...” Now, prepare your holiday, take the reservation at Jogja, prepare for the stamina and get to Nglanggeran Mountain and Siung beach for the bonus for Rock Climber. Be there and be amaze of God’s creation...!

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