Sang Hyang Tikoro (sometimes also written Sanghyang Tikoro), which literally means god of the throat, is the name of a cavern through which the Citarum River flows and goes underground near Saguling -- some 26 kilometers to the southwest of the city of Bandung. This cavern is said to be about 162 meters in length. However, this has yet to be ascertained as nobody has ever ventured into and explored it. The mouth, shown in the above picture, is about 2,5 meters high and 9 meters wide.
The legend that circulates among the Sundanese people has it that this cavern is the place where the ancient Bandung lake, which has now become the bowl-like Bandung plateau, first leaked and became dry, and should this cavern ever be blocked, the Citarum water will once again flood the bowl and turn Bandung into a lake again.
This belief has geologically been proven to be unfounded. However, a legend is a legend. Many people still believe in the significance this underground tunnel has for the survival of Bandung.
1 comment:
Wow, it even LOOKS like the stuff of legend!
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