MEGALITHIC SITES CIANJUR,WEST JAVA

Hai traveles, Is a knowledge seeker rove prince of the Kingdom of Sunda at approximately the end of the 15th century, once roamed the island of Java and visiting sacred places along the northern coast, crossing to the island of Bali, and returned to West Java through the southbound lanes. Pilgrimage prince rover nicknamed Manik Bujangga it, we must admit as tourist activity / exploration first recorded by native Sunda archipelago.

World heritage site of Mount Padang is the largest megalithic prehistoric stone age in Southeast Asia with an area of ​​900 m² and purbakalanya reach its site area of ​​about 3 hectares. Right at the top of this mountain, many rocks strewn with plans mengkerucut in 5 terraces, estimated age of the rocks in the year 4000-9000 BCE (BCE).

This megalithic site itself comes from the period in the year 2500 - 4000 BC. This means building on this site has been around 2,800 years before the building of the Borobudur temple in Central Java. In fact, age is older megalithic site of Machu Picchu above the Urubamba Valley in Peru. It is estimated that the megalithic site of Mount Padang is contemporaneous with the first building the Pyramids in Egypt.

In exceptional, he recorded approximately 450 geographical names which are still much can be known until now. Note the papyrus sheets that are now stored in the Museum of the Bodleian, Oxford, England, ended with a preparation spiritual journey to nirvana, somewhere principal had found in the headwaters of the Cisokan, Cianjur.

Even though there is no certainty where the principal in the upstream Cisokan called Manik Bujangga it, but in the upstream watershed-Cikondang Cisokan, Cianjur, the only place is the site of Mount Padang principal. The site is a "building" which is composed of a pile of rocks columns built berundak, located at the top of a small hill known as Mount Padang.

Megalithic Sites located in Mount Padang Karyamukti Village, District Campaka, Cianjur Regency believed by archaeologists as the largest megalithic site in Southeast Asia. Prehistoric cultural heritage in the province of West Java that potential into cultural tourism and eco-tourism destination is, unfortunately, less well maintained. In addition, a considerable distance from the road-state Cianjur-Sukabumi (20 km further) with narrow access and paved winding thin easily destroyed by the time the rainy season, becoming the first obstacle of the prospective traveler.

Approaching the location of the site, other constraints already facing Similarly, the absence of directions to the location of the site, and the tea plantations damaged or layered sharp rocks. Recognizing the many obstacles behind the development of the tourism potential of this remarkable, Central Management of Archaeological and Historical Values ​​of Traditional Culture and Tourism Department of West Java, never held a positive activity in the form of "Travel Activity" which was followed by the community and the students. The activity is expected to pioneer the development of tourism towards a better and attract serious attention to the handling of the site, which is the Megalithic culture of Asia-Pacific (Harlan, May 26, 2005). However, for travelers who want to get more value from berwisatanya activity, it seems these obstacles became part of the journey will be an exciting experience record.

Andesite basaltic

This archaeological site, is actually very interesting also in the light of geology. This is because the building blocks construction sites, in terms of geology have formed a special way. Moreover, geographically, Mount Padang position against other mountains around it, especially Mount Gede, may be used as criteria for the selection of the hill by the architect prehistoric builders of this site.

If we have reached this site, the impression of grandeur and greatness of ancient society immediately ambushed atmosphere. This feeling was so strong when he arrived at the court of first after climbing the stone steps of approximately 30 meters high with a slope of about 40 degrees. Stones shaped polygonal columns are mounted transversely as stairs since foothills. At the top of the hill, in the first courtyard, gates flanked by stone columns standing, so it really is like a spot check in.

In the court of the first steps, we made amazed by the work of our ancestors. Why not, almost all of the construction of this site, composed of columns of stone. Many memunyai dimensional polygonal stone column in terms of five or six with a smooth surface. Lay people can be fooled, consider these stones are man-made inlaid manner, whereas, in geological, natural processes can form a smooth bepermukaan stone column by itself.

Polygonal stone columns formed when magma flow freezes. Similarly, the formation of polygonal cracks when the mud dries. So it is with the liquid magma that flows out of the earth's surface as lava flows. When petrified, physical processes will form a cooling cracks form the polygonal columns.

This process is the same process that make up the stairs of the hexagon giant in Ireland known as The Giant Causeway, or columns high at Devil's Tower in Ohio, USA, or stone columns that adorn the walls of the quarry in Mount Selacau and Lagadar, South Cimahi. Everything happens during the process of cooling lava into igneous rock that generally manifold or basaltic andesite.

In Gunung Padang, stones colored dark gray, basaltic andesite manifold. Mount Padang is thought to be the result of magma in freezing environments remnants of ancient volcanoes Early Pleistocene, approximately 21 million years ago. The existence of natural resources, the column blocks of the construction site can be identified if we observe the foot of the hill where the columns of natural stone that is not derived from the ruins of the site, still scattered.

With highly intelligent, architect living megalithic estimated approximately 2000-1000 years ago, have chosen a suitable place of the availability of resources are there.

Leads to Mount Gede

Our fascination for the work of the ancestors of the ancient people of West Java, will further increase as we continue to observe the composition of the stone by stone and the surrounding environment. The architects have chosen this hill, perhaps with a long survey and exploration are very far. Selection of a hill in such a way, so that in addition to the resources available stone to build a place of worship, the longitudinal direction so right site facing Mount Gede (elevation 2958 m).

Exactly the direction 10 degrees north-west on the compass, the long exact sites leads to the mountain which has become the principal mountain and considered holy and sacred by the people of the Kingdom of Padjadjaran. Gunung Gede may also be considered equally sacred and its sacred megalithic community.

Interestingly, with the backdrop of Mount Gede the far north, the site is also facing first on a hill called Sand Pogor in front of him. ***
Sorce by wacananusantara.org