Jakarta, IO – Bledug Kuwu is a mud volcano phenomenon in the village of Kuwu Village, Kradenan District, Grobogan Regency, Central Java. The jet of water that comes out of the pressure of vertical sea water forms a 45 hectare mud lake which has turned into a tourist destination.
The name Bledug Kuwu comes from the sound “bledug” (like the sound of a cannon heard from a distance) from the mud that spouts white smoke with an average height of 3 meters. However, at certain times there are loud explosions that can eject mud as high as 10 meters when the Java Southern Sea is experiencing high tide.
According to several studies, this phenomenon is the result of fault rock pressure that extends from the southwest to the northeast. The mud eruption contains salt and is made use of by the local people.
Uniquely, the local community believes that Bledug Kuwu is closely related to the Legend of Aji Saka. According to Grobogan.go.id, around 7th century AD, Kuwu was part of the Medang Kamolan Kingdom ruled by a king named Dewata Cengkar, who is said to enjoy eating human flesh.
The people were afraid of the king, but a wanderer Aji Saka appeared and callenged his supernatural powers to stop the king’s cannibalistic practice. Aji Saka vows that if he loses his body may be eaten but his bones must be buried in the ground the size of his headband.
The king gladly accepted the challenge but had no idea that Aji Saka’s headband contained supernatural powers. Ajisaka immediately spread his headband on the ground which suddenly became wider and shifted the place where Dewata Cengkar was standing until he plunged into the South Sea.
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After the death of Dewata Cengkar, the people crowned Aji Saka as the king of Medang Kamolan. Several years later, a dragon appeared and claimed to be the king’s son named Jaka Linglung. Intending to subtly get rid of the dragon, Aji Saka stated that he would only recognize him as his son if the dragon manages to kill a white crocodile incarnation of Dewata Cengkar in the South Sea. Jaka Linglung agreed.
Jaka Linglung was not allowed to go by land so he had to dig a tunnel so as not to disturb the peace of the residents. During the journey, he found time to relax by surfacing in several places, one of which was in Kuwu. This is why it is called Bledug Kuwu. He is said to have made it to the South Sea and killed Dewata Cengkar. (bp)