Cave exploring

Here in Yogya and surrounding areas in Java, caves means magical and mystical as well, where many of them have been used for religious purposes for centuries, and still continue then.
For those who would like to explore, Yogya offers caves accessible to all of you which have a variety
purposes. Beside for recreational adventures and ecological as well geological, historical and scientific data, caves play an important role and both cultural and social heritage.
In a hilly areas of Menoreh, about 9 km northeast of Borobudur Temple, there is a famous cave named Sendang Sono , it's a sacred cave for Catholics where you may find a statue of Virgin Mary in the hillside. To be there, you have to go through a narrow trail as the "Crucifixion Path", to reach the Holly Spring, where water is taken to the Virgin Mary to be blessed. It's believed that the water can heale diseases, purify soul, and bring peaces to all people.

At Dieng plateau, beside the eight Hindhu Temple from 8th century, it might be the oldest in Java, surrounded by boiling mud volcanoes, colored lakes, sulphur outlets and undergrounds channels, there are at least three caves, i.e. Semar Cave, Sumur Cave, and Jaran Cave. Inscriptions dating to 1210AD have been found here.
About 35 km south of Yogya, located in a densed hills of Menoreh there're at least two caves, believed to be the Royal food storage and also a battlefield as told in the Ramayana Epic, which can only be reached by crawling. Sumitro Cave known as the place where the Mahabharata hero medication place, where a lot of people who still believe the magical power of the caves do meditation to gain for fame and fortune.
Selarong Cave located in Bantul Regency, 13 km south of Yogya, which was used for guerilla warfare zone by one of the National Hero of Indonesia, Prince Diponegoro (1825-1830) during the fight against the Dutch colonial government.



In most all caves you will find faunas which are different, like bats, swallows, which produce nests favored by Chinese to be an expensive gourmet soup.
Whoever are exploring caves and regardless of the reasons, they should be careful not to damage cave walls and fragile formations, which take centuries to build. The ecology and the life population should not be disturbed.
Please appreciate and preserve them for many purposes, since they preserve many values of hidden worlds.