IO – Takengon is the capital of Central Aceh Regency, although its territory is not so wide it only ranges from 4318 km², but its natural charm makes the tourists who visit it amazed. The air in its natural region is cool, while its natural beauty is very exotic as if it was still awake from the hands of ignorant humans. The good news is that this small city has many tourist attractions that can be visited, one of which is natural tourism which has a legend in ancient times.
Atu Belah or Stone split is a large rock located approximately 35 km from Takengon in the village of “Penarun”, Central Aceh District. It is said that the story of this stone can swallow anyone who sings using the nearby gayo language and the rock will split into attracting that person, that’s according to the story that developed in the surrounding community.
The path to this area is not easy, this rock is in the forest where there is a special car lane to go to the tourist attraction. However, not all cars can go to the location of the split stone, it is recommended to use a 4×4 wheel drive or a jeep to be used to run on a track full of obstacles. At the time of rain the track will be very slippery and runny because this in the middle of the forest will find many fallen trees in the middle of the lane. The condition of the road to this area is quite alarming, the number of holes and untouched asphalt that can make it difficult for tourists to reach the location of the object.
So, at that time I had to travel by foot to reach the location of this rock, tourism or division was very interesting and aroused curiosity about the legend that was told down to the present. Because I was a native of Takengon, Central Aceh, when I was a child, my mother often told me about the legend of this stone, so it made me curious to visit the location of “or split” (split stone).
I will share a bit of their a legend that made me curious about this stone, in ancient times this stone is said to have swallowed a woman who felt hopeless because of the attitude of her husband. He was so cruel cutting one side of her breast because she was upset with her children who had made locusts grasshoppers fled from the barn. Her husband, who was upset after being tired from hunting, immediately scolded his wife and cut off her breasts. Then the wife ran to the forest. After that, the mother pounced with the words, “Atu split, or cupped for the first paddy field,” if interpreted in Indonesian “Batu Belah, stones covered, our promises of the past have arrived. “Words” were sung very quietly many times by the poor mother to ask for this stone to swallow it. His children chased after the mother but it was too late because their mother had already entered the stone and died with 7 strands of her hair. This story is a folk tale that many children know in the gayo community. They classify it as a legend, because according to Gayo residents this incident really happened in their area.
After going through a rather difficult route, I also found this stone location surrounded by large beautiful trees, excellent natural scenery, and as if this natural tourist attraction had a moral message “listen to the advice of both parents. If you do something wrong, immediately apologize to them. Mother’s love for all time, she must forgive our mistakes. The opposite applies when we see the mistakes of others, big spirits to forgive.”
Instead of staying silent at home there is no harm in trying to visit a part where your eyes will be spoiled with a very good natural scenery while learning from the story of legend or this part. (Mahrayuni)