Ritual Sacrifice Attracts Thousands of People to Indonesia

Thousands of locals and tourists visited Mount Bromo early Sunday for a sumptuous religious ceremony of throwing ritual offerings in the smoking crater of an active volcano in the tribal interior of Indonesia.

Every year, people from the Tengger tribe gather in the surrounding highlands to throw fruits, vegetables, flowers and even livestock like goats and chickens into the smoking crater of the Mount Bromo. Yadnya Kasada

Other villagers, non-members of the Tengger tribe, are trying to catch the offerings before they disappear into the swirling smoke using networks and sarongs. This is not technically part of the ritual, but reflects local desires not to waste offerings.

The one-month-old festival of Yadnya Kasada dates back to the 15th century legends of Majapahit's kingdom princess, Roro Anteng, and her husband, Joko Seger.

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Unable to have children after years of marriage, the couple begged the gods to help him.

Their prayers were answered and 25 children were promised, and they agreed to sacrifice their youngest son by throwing him on Mount Bromo.

The legend says that this son voluntarily jumped to the volcano to guarantee the prosperity of the people of Tengger.

The tradition of sacrifice continues to this day, although the Tengger sacrifice their crops and farm animals instead of humans.

Dancers with elaborate traditional costumes and tourists woke up before dawn to participate in this year's ceremony.

The crowd has grown at Mount Bromo in recent years as the local government promotes the festival as a tourist event.

Foreign tourists joined travelers from other parts of Indonesia to the top of the mountain, throwing coins into the crater for good luck