Mount Pulosari | |
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Highest point | |
Elevation | 1,324 m (4,344 ft)[1] |
Coordinates | 6°20′35″S 105°58′41″E / 6.343°S 105.978°E[1] |
Geography | |
Country | Indonesia[1] |
Island | Java[1] |
Province | Banten[5] |
Regency | Pandeglang |
Geology | |
Age of rock | Pleistocene[1] |
Mountain type | Stratovolcano[1] |
Last eruption | Unknown[1] |
Mount Pulosari is a stratovolcano[1] in Pandeglang Regency, Banten,[5] in West Java Indonesia. There are active solfataras on its 300-metre (980 ft) deep caldera wall.[1] It has been identified as a volcano in a fumarolic state with no known eruptions.[6] Basalt, andesite, and pyroxene have all been identified in the petrology of the mountain.[6]
During the 10th century, a Hindu temple was built on the highland of the mountain,[5] under the Sunda Kingdom.[7] Five statues that share a single base depict Shiva Mahadewa, Durga, Batara Guru, Ganesha and Brahma; these are known as "Caringin" statues.[7]
800 priests are said to have lived on the mountain under the leadership of Prabu Pucuk Umun during the era of Sunan Gunungjati and Maulana Hasanuddin of Banten in the 16th century.[7] Hasanuddin lived there for almost a decade, and many converted to Islam.[7] Those who did not left for the southern mountainous areas.[7] Local history states that Hasanuddin required the converted priests to remain on the mountain, believing that a lack of pious guardians would be detrimental to the welfare of life on Java.[8]
The stratovolcano has also been known by the name Poelasari[1] and Pulasari.[1][2] In The Book of Ancient Kings, Mount Pulosari is referred to as Mount Batuwara.[3][4]
At 06° 21' 39.5" S, 106° 00' 17.6" E stands the Cidaresi Bergores stone, a 175 cm (69 in) long by 102 cm (40 in) wide monolith with triangular shapes scored into the surface. Locally, the stone is called 'batu tumbung' or 'batu tum' because the triangles are representative of female genitals. The stone is composed of andesite and is located in the midst of rice paddies. It is considered a symbol of fertility.[9]
Sukasari Village stands at the base of Mount Pulosari and houses a complex of nine purification pools are located.[10]
The pool at Cipanggitikan has been covered by concrete, leaving a rectangular shape measuring 4 m (13 ft) by 5.86 m (19.2 ft). It has a depth of 80 cm (31 in), and the water is used in the supply for Pandeglang and is owned in part by the Regional Drinking Water Company (PDAM) [id] in Pandeglang.[11]
Cikajayaan is west of Cipanggitikan and means "water of glory". Locals believe bathing in the pool will bring success. The pool is square, bordered by small rocks, and had an area comprising 3.8 m (12 ft) by 3.8 m (12 ft), with a depth of 53 cm (21 in). It is surrounded by Hibiscus rosa-sinensis.[11]
Approximately 10 m (33 ft) from Cikajayaan stands Cikaapeusan, known as the "water of bad luck". People bathe in the pool to get rid of their bad luck. It measures 4.80 m (15.7 ft) by 5.30 m (17.4 ft) with a depth of 70 cm (28 in), and is covered by concrete like Cipanggitikan, save for a small opening on one side.[12]
Cipangantenan is approximately 8 m (26 ft) west of Cikaapeusan. It is in the shape of an "L", measuring 3.54 m (11.6 ft) by 2.90 m (9 ft 6 in) with a depth of 44 cm (17 in). This pool has a spring flowing directly into it that also flows into the larger Citaman Pool, and is surrounded by andesite rocks. The name means "wedding water" as it is believed that those who wish to find their "soul mate" must bathe in the water.[13]
Approximately 6 m (20 ft) west of Cikapangantenan, the waters of this pool are believed to protect from danger. The pool is shaped like a trapezoid and covers an area of 34.55 m (113.4 ft) square with a depth of 22 cm (8.7 in). The water from this pool flows directly into Citaman Pool.[13]
The most popular of the nine pool, Cikaputrian measures 2 m (6 ft 7 in) by 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) with a depth of 30 cm (12 in). It lies approximately 7 m (23 ft) to the northeast of Cikapaliasan.[13]
Located to the left of the entrance to the Citaman site, the pool is bordered by andesite rocks and covers an area of 14.29 m (46.9 ft) square, with a depth of 60 cm (24 in).[13]
4 m (13 ft) southwest of Cikahuripan, Cikembangan – meaning "flower water" – is directly adjacent to Citaman Pool. It measures 2 m (6 ft 7 in) by 4.35 m (14.3 ft) and has a depth of 28 cm (11 in). It is covered with green moss.[13]
The largest of the pools, Citaman covers an area of 941.58 m (3,089.2 ft) square and a depth of up to 100 cm (39 in). The water flows directly into the Cigetir River. It has a divider, allowing for division between genders in using the pool. It is 175 m (574 ft) above sea level, located at coordinates 6° 25' 24.5" S and 105° 55' 09.8" E.[14]
The Goong complex is approximately 30 km (19 mi) from the Pandeglang Regency government center. The word "Goong" is Sudanese for "gong" for the artifacts found among the megaliths. Several research studies were conducted to determine the cultural heritage of the site, concluding that the area is prehistoric and the stones are megaliths.[15] It is located at coordinates 6° 20' 17.2" S and 105° 55' 18.9" E and is a terraced site, low on the west and high on the east. The resulting stepped contour is called Kaduguling Hill.[16]
One of the megalith areas includes 12 stones in a cupola, one menhir surrounded by 10 cylindrical stones with flat tops and one gong shaped artifact. The formation is often referred to as a "meeting bracelet".[16] There are five such constructions within the complex.[17]
The flat-topped andesite stone located at Batu Ranjang [id] is known as a dolmen. Though these are traditionally grave sites, this particular location is thought to have been used for the worship of ancestral spirits.[18]
On the slopes of Mount Pulosari at 6° 19' 20.4" S and 105° 58' 52" E stand a number of menhirs in the shape of a phallus. The name of the site translates to "male genitals". It is considered a site for fertility rites from prehistoric Indonesian peoples.[19]
The Tongtrong stone is located in the yard of a prayer room, and because it has been removed from its historical context, its exact historical cultural function is unknown. There is debate as to whether it was involved in burial or, because of its shape resembling female genitals, in fertility ceremonies.[20]
Some Dissochaeta plants are known to grow from Mount Pulosari to Mount Slamet in Banyumas Regency.[21] Specific species include D. inappendiculata[22] and D. gracilis.[23]
Alyxia plants have also been recorded in the area, with local wisdom mixing the wilted leaves of the gagan plant (centella asiatica) to create a vermicide for children.[24]
Mount Pulosari has a small role in the Hindu creation myth associated with Mount Karang: in the story, Hanomat, king of the monkeys, carried two large bags of sand to create two islands in the Sunda Strait. When he saw that three islands already existed there, he tore the bags to pieces, creating two growing piles of sand that formed both Karang and Pulosari.[25]
The Banaspati Ghost [id] is a legend of a ghost that roams the mountain and leads climbers astray.[26]
Another local legend tells of buffalo-sized wild boars who roam the slopes of the mountain at night and destroy crops.[26]