Sendangsono pilgrimage site, the Lourdes of Java Island
By R. Agus Bakti
SENDANGSONO, Central Java (JP): Sendangsono is a name familiar to Roman Catholics. It is here that they usually make their pilgrimages. It is also quite apt to call it the Lourdes of Java because it is Indonesia's first Roman Catholic site of pilgrimage and is modeled after the world-renowned Lourdes in France.
Located in Banjaroyo, Kalibawang, Kulon Progo, some 49 kilometers southwest of Yogyakarta, this pilgrimage site is now also a tourist destination.
Roman Catholics from across the country usually visit Sendangsono in May and October. May of this year was special because it was an occasion for Roman Catholics to make a pilgrimage in this first year of the 21st century. Some pilgrims have even called their May pilgrim the "millennium pilgrim", an occasion with its peak on the night of May 31, the day marking Christ's ascension.
Compared to the previous years, however, there were less visitors. "The number of visitors is down, perhaps because similar caves have been built in other regions," one of the pilgrims, YB Winarto, said.
You can either walk or drive to Sendangsono. If you go on foot, you will start from St. Mary Lourdes Church in Promasan and take a 2-kilometer path called the Way of the Cross to get to Sendangsono.
If you drive, however, you can go via Boro or Jagalan.
History
Sendangsono has become a pilgrimage site for Roman Catholics because it is believed that the Virgin Mary, Jesus's mother, once appeared before St. Bernadette and worked wonders on the locals.
This place used to be called Sumber Semagung. It began to be famous in 1904 after it was blessed as the source of "Holy Water" by Father van Lith, a Dutch Roman Catholic priest.
Then Father Prennthalers of the Jesuit Order, the first Catholic figure in Kalibawang, suggested that this place was turned into a holy site. It was not until 1929, however, that it was inaugurated as one.
The Catholics jointly and gradually turned this place into a pilgrimage site. It is called Sendangsono because there is a spring there (sendang in Javanese) and also because there is a sono tree ( Dalbergia spp) growing close to the spring.
Estimated to be hundreds of years old, this tree, now very big, tall and leafy, brings a cool atmosphere to the area.
According to Winarto, a father of five hailing from Kulonprogo, Yogyakarta, a pilgrim going on foot through Promasan Church may contemplate the meaning of this pilgrimage along the way.
"But it does not mean that the significance of the pilgrimage will be lost if you go there by car," he added.
Indeed, along the Way of the Cross, spanning about two kilometers, a deeply religious atmosphere is felt throughout, especially coupled with the presence of green trees on both sides of the path. The soil, the air and sunshine have also added to the sacredness of the place.
The Way of the Cross, says Winarto, encompasses all the way from Promasan Church up to Sendangsono. This is also called a major station. There are 14 stations along the Way of the Cross and each has its own story. "In essence, all the stories are about Jesus," he said.
It is at each station that pilgrims, either individually or in groups, make their prayer. Although the way is slanted upward, these pilgrims do not appear tired.
After completing the whole Way of the Cross, the pilgrims arrive at Sendangsono. Here there are also a few more stations, called minor stations. Both major and minor stations are built of stone and the tiles are artistically arranged. All stations are provided with ornaments narrating the stories about Jesus Christ.
A female pilgrim from Jakarta, who preferred to remain anonymous, said that she intentionally came to Sendangsono for some blessings.
"I hope that after collecting some water from the spring here and praying at this place, I will get God's blessings, especially considering the unfavorable situation that our country is now in and the fact that it's the 21st century," she said in the midst of thousands of other pilgrims in the area.
People collecting water from the spring and praying before the statue of Virgin Mary is a common sight in Sendangsono. Unlike before, there are now water taps to facilitate water collection.
After taking some water and washing their faces and bodies and praying before the cave, the pilgrims usually enjoy themselves, sitting in front of the chapel, going to a resting place or simply savoring the beautiful scenery.
Sendangsono is popular with both pilgrims and tourists. For the latter, the peacefulness of the place, its cool weather and beautiful panorama are a great treat, especially because in this area there are artistically constructed buildings.
The chapels in Sendangsono, intended, among other things, for religious services, choir rehearsals and meditation, form a harmonious unity with the surrounding nature in the hilly Menoreh area, some 900 meters above sea level. Terraced land lends further harmony to the presence of the chapels in this area.
The building of these chapels is inseparable from the late YB Mangunwijaya, better known as Romo Mangun, because it was he who designed them.
These chapels are prominently Javanese in their architecture. As they are located in the Menoreh area, cool weather usually prevails.
Pilgrims who wish to spend a night in Sendangsono can find lodging around the area. If they want souvenirs they can call into the locals' houses where they can usually buy, for example, crosses, statues of the Virgin Mary and candles.
Winarto said that around Sendangsono there are also many interesting tourist objects, such as Puncak Suroloyo, the peak of Menoreh.
"If you are there you can see beautiful panoramas, like those at Borobudur Temple," he said, adding that the way to the top was just the same as the one taken to Sendangsono. You must be careful, though, because the path is narrow, he warned, adding that it suited mountain climbers better.
Other tourist objects include Kiskendo Cave, the grave of Nyi Ageng Serang and Kalibawang, a site for agrotourism. All these places are located in the northern part of the Menoreh hills.