KASADA CERIMONY
On the slopes of Mount Bromo, in East Java, Indonesia, once a year the Yadnya Kasada ceremony takes place. It is a Hindu ritual ceremony held in honor of Sang Hyang Widhi, the God, and is based on the ancient legend of Roro Anteng and Joko Seger.
According to the legend, a couple named Roro and Joko remained childless after many years of marriage. Every day, they meditated at the top of Mount Bromo, praying to have children, invoking the help of the gods. Their requests were granted, and the family had 24 children on the condition that the last, the 25th, be thrown into the volcano as a sacrifice, thus honoring the gods.
Even now, the popular tradition, which mainly appeals to the Tengger community, respects the request. Every year sacrifices are offered to appease the deities, obviously without resorting to human sacrifice: chickens, goats, and vegetables are thrown into the crater to be offered, and the spectacle, amid the volcano's fumes, becomes surreal.
