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Mada Kari Pura
In
around the year 1355 A.D. King Hayam Wuruk of Majapahit gave
a small portion of land to his chief minister Gajah Mada. This
land is believed to have included the now famous waterfall Mada
Kari Pura (sacred place of Gajah Mada), near Mt Bromo. It was
at Mada Kari Pura that Gajah Mada, the man who took Majapahit
to the zenith of its power, is said to have made his vow of abstinence,
the Palapa, and consolidated the first historic vision of a united
Indonesia. For Javanese, and Indonesians generally, Mada Kari
Pura can be seen as a place for spiritual renewal, a place to
ponder on the great leader's effort of will and determination,
symbolized by the Palapa, which has for more than 600 years been
a motivating force for the people of Java.
The spectacular waterfall lies hidden at the end of a deep valley
in the foothills of the Tengger range, not far from Sukapura.
The meeting of the valley walls forms an enormous 'sinkhole'
more than 100 metres deep, into which water cascades from the
dense forest above. Until recently, the site was virtually inaccessible
to all but the most adventurous. Since 1989, however, a track
has been cleared down to the river bed and guides from the nearby
village of Sapih, or Sapen, are ready to lead visitors to the
falls.
The best time to visit Mada Kari Pura is in the middle of the
day, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when the sun is high enough
to light up the bottom of the valley. In fact, since the occurrence
of a recent tragic accident, visitors are no longer permitted
to walk to the falls after 3 p.m.. Heavy rain in the late afternoon
has been the cause of dangerous flash floods in the river. It
is also inadvisable to stand under the main waterfall, where
there can be rock falls. However, a minor cascade alongside provides
an extremely refreshing and memorable shower.
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