Mbah Maridjan
Encyclopedia
Mas Penewu Surakso Hargo, better known as Mbah Maridjan ("Grandfather Maridjan") (5 February 1927? – 26 October 2010) was the spiritual guardian or "gatekeeper" of the Indonesia
n volcano Mount Merapi
. His birthplace was in the mountainside hamlet
(Indonesian language-dukuh) of Kinahrejo, Umbulharjo Village, Cangkringan District, of the Sleman Regency
, on the island of Java
in Indonesia.
He was killed at the age of 83 by a pyroclastic flow
that destroyed his home in the village of Kinahrejo during the 2010 eruption of Mount Merapi.
The spiritual guardian of the mountain is believed by local people to have the power to speak to the spirits of Mount Merapi, which the Java
nese consider to be a sacred mountain. Maridjan led ceremonies to appease the spirits of the volcano by presenting them with offerings of rice and flowers in and around the crater. One of his most important duties was the performance of the annual Labuhan sacrificial ceremony dedicated to the spirits of Mount Merapi. A procession from the royal palace on Yogjakarta led by the guardian sacrifices to the volcano spirits a set of ritual offerings including textiles, perfume, incense, money and, every eight years, a horse saddle. He described his job, for which he was paid $1 a month, as being "to stop lava from flowing down. Let the volcano breathe, but not cough."
Maridjan was known for his dedication and loyalty to the king and became an Indonesian icon. He lived only about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the peak in his home village of Kinahrejo. Many villagers believed that he would be warned in a vision if an eruption was imminent. In May 2006, he refused to leave his village despite a mandatory evacuation order after scientists warned of an imminent eruption. He went with fifty other men to the village mosque when the volcano began to erupt. Following his example, a hundred other families also refused to evacuate. He was badly burned in a subsequent blast and spent five months in hospital after being rescued from his collapsed house. He became a popular hero because of his refusal to leave his village and his insistence that it was his duty to discharge his responsibility for the welfare of the people. He said that "the people of Kinahrejo feel that it was their destiny to be born to be a fortress to protect the welfare of the kraton
(royal palace) and the people of Mataram (central Java)." During an interview in 2006, he said, "Everybody has their duty. Reporter, soldier, police, they have their duty. I also have a duty to stand here".
The Yogyakarta Palace subsequently confirmed his death. Gusti Prabukusumo, the brother of Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, said that they had "known long before it happened that Mbah Maridjan would be taken by Merapi. Now that he's gone, we have to choose a new gatekeeper soon". Maridjan was survived by his wife and five children.
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n volcano Mount Merapi
Mount Merapi
Mount Merapi, Gunung Merapi , is an active stratovolcano located on the border between Central Java and Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It is the most active volcano in Indonesia and has erupted regularly since 1548...
. His birthplace was in the mountainside hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
(Indonesian language-dukuh) of Kinahrejo, Umbulharjo Village, Cangkringan District, of the Sleman Regency
Sleman Regency
Sleman is a regency located on the northern border of the Yogyakarta Special Region province, Indonesia. It has an area of 574.82 km² and a population of 901,400. Its capital is the town of Sleman...
, on the island of Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
in Indonesia.
He was killed at the age of 83 by a pyroclastic flow
Pyroclastic flow
A pyroclastic flow is a fast-moving current of superheated gas and rock , which reaches speeds moving away from a volcano of up to 700 km/h . The flows normally hug the ground and travel downhill, or spread laterally under gravity...
that destroyed his home in the village of Kinahrejo during the 2010 eruption of Mount Merapi.
Life
Maridjan was the son of the previous guardian, Mbah Hargo. He was appointed to the palace staff of the Sultan of Yogyakarta, Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX, in 1970 and was given the title of Raden Ngabehi Surokso Hargo. He replaced his father as guardian in 1982.The spiritual guardian of the mountain is believed by local people to have the power to speak to the spirits of Mount Merapi, which the Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
nese consider to be a sacred mountain. Maridjan led ceremonies to appease the spirits of the volcano by presenting them with offerings of rice and flowers in and around the crater. One of his most important duties was the performance of the annual Labuhan sacrificial ceremony dedicated to the spirits of Mount Merapi. A procession from the royal palace on Yogjakarta led by the guardian sacrifices to the volcano spirits a set of ritual offerings including textiles, perfume, incense, money and, every eight years, a horse saddle. He described his job, for which he was paid $1 a month, as being "to stop lava from flowing down. Let the volcano breathe, but not cough."
Maridjan was known for his dedication and loyalty to the king and became an Indonesian icon. He lived only about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the peak in his home village of Kinahrejo. Many villagers believed that he would be warned in a vision if an eruption was imminent. In May 2006, he refused to leave his village despite a mandatory evacuation order after scientists warned of an imminent eruption. He went with fifty other men to the village mosque when the volcano began to erupt. Following his example, a hundred other families also refused to evacuate. He was badly burned in a subsequent blast and spent five months in hospital after being rescued from his collapsed house. He became a popular hero because of his refusal to leave his village and his insistence that it was his duty to discharge his responsibility for the welfare of the people. He said that "the people of Kinahrejo feel that it was their destiny to be born to be a fortress to protect the welfare of the kraton
Kraton Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat
Kraton Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat is the primary kraton of the Yogyakarta Sultanate. The sultan and the royal court has its traditional seat there....
(royal palace) and the people of Mataram (central Java)." During an interview in 2006, he said, "Everybody has their duty. Reporter, soldier, police, they have their duty. I also have a duty to stand here".
2010 Merapi eruption and death
Maridjan again refused to evacuate prior to the 26 October eruption in 2010, telling a friend that he could not leave because he had a responsibility, and that because "my time to die in this place has almost come, I can't leave." Thirteen other people, who were in his home trying to persuade him to leave, were killed along with him when his house was hit by a pyroclastic flow. Only the mosque in his village was left standing. Maridjan's body was found in a praying position; he was thought to have been killed instantly by the 1,000-degree Celsius cloud of gas and ash.The Yogyakarta Palace subsequently confirmed his death. Gusti Prabukusumo, the brother of Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, said that they had "known long before it happened that Mbah Maridjan would be taken by Merapi. Now that he's gone, we have to choose a new gatekeeper soon". Maridjan was survived by his wife and five children.