Interested in spiritual and healing tourism? Sendangsono is a site with A Mixture Culture Between Buddhism And Catholic In One Place in Yogyakarta.
Sendangsono Maria Cave is a pilgrimage site located in Banjaroyo Village, Kalibawang District, Kulon Progo Regency, DI Yogyakarta. Sendangsono Maria Cave is managed by the St. Maria Lourdes Parish in Promasan, northwest Yogyakarta.
Sendangsono is by far the most popular place of pilgrimage for Roman Catholics in Indonesia. It has been known from time immemorial as a centre of worship of indigenous religions. However, during the first three decades of the twentieth century the Roman Catholic missionaries Van Lith and Prennthaler succeeded in turning it into a Christian pilgrimage centre focused on the devotion to Maria. By applying the principles of adaptation and inculturation these Jesuit priests turned the place into a West European Christian stronghold amid a hostile, ‘pagan’ environment. However, since the late fifties of the twentieth century a kind of ‘Javanization’ of this Marian pilgrimage site seems to have taken place. The author, architect, and priest Yusuf Bilyarta Mangunwijaya played a crucial role in this process. Partly due to his efforts, Sendangsono became the place where Javanese believers of all persuasions celebrate their ‘shared Javanese cultural values as a Common Bond’.
History of Sendangsono
On December 14, 1904, Father Van Lith baptized 171 local residents with water from a source under two Sono trees. This baptism was the fruit of the work of Barnabas Sarikromo as the first catechumen in this area, who had previously been baptized by Van Lith on May 20, 1904 at the Muntilan mission center. 25 years later, on December 8, 1929, Sendangsono was officially declared a pilgrimage site by Father JB Prennthaler SJ.
The statue of the Virgin Mary in Sendangsono was presented by the Queen of Spain which was lifted up by the Kalibawang congregation with great difficulty from below Sentolo Village.
In 1945, Indonesian Catholic Youth had the opportunity to make a pilgrimage to Lourdes, from there they brought the stone where the Virgin Mary appeared to be planted under the feet of the statue of the Virgin Mary Sendangsono as a relic so that Sendangsono was called the Maria Lourdes Sendang Sono Cave.
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Sendangsono was built in stages since 1974, relying only on donations from the congregation. Cultural figure, cleric, and architect YB Mangunwijaya provided a distinctive vernacular architectural touch, with the concept of the Sendangsono complex building with a Javanese nuance, with a high craftsmanship spirit, and the use of building materials utilizing local environmentally friendly resources.
In 1991, the Sendangsono building complex received the best architecture award from the Indonesian Architects Association, for the special building group category. On October 17, 2004, a procession and holy eucharist mass were held at 10:00 WIB by Mgr Ignatius Suharyo Pr to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Sendangsono.
Sendangsono Cave as a Pilgrimage Destination
The Sendangsono pilgrimage complex is located several kilometers from the highway, entering a smaller road with quite steep ups and downs and slightly damaged in several places, but still passable by four-wheeled vehicles.
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Entering the road to the location, along the left and right sides of the road are stalls selling souvenirs and spiritual items. Pilgrims can buy candles, jerry cans or bottles in the shape of the statue of the Virgin Mary to store Sendangsono water.
The Sendangsono pilgrimage complex is almost 1 hectare wide. From the entrance gate, pilgrims can find the route of the large Stations of the Cross. This large Stations of the Cross begins at the church located under the Sendangsono pilgrimage complex. Pilgrims who want to visit the church can access the road located a few hundred meters before the Sendangsono parking lot by following the existing road signs. From this church is the origin of the old Stations of the Cross. The distance of this Stations of the Cross is about 1 kilometer.
On the right side, a new, smaller Stations of the Cross route was built, meaning that the distance from one stop to another is very short, only a few steps. The dioramas of the story of the passion of Jesus Christ are small and covered by a kind of roof.
At the end of the Stations of the Cross, pilgrims will enter a courtyard in the middle area of which, at the bottom, there are water taps to take water from the Sendangsono spring, which flows from above, namely the source point of the spring which is shaped like a covered well.
Transportation Access to Sendangsono
To reach Sendangsono, you can pass through the winding road at the foot of Menoreh which has two route options. First, is from Yogyakarta City by following Jalan Godean-Sentolo and the second route is via Jalan Magelang via the Muntilan Market intersection, Central Java.
From the city center, you need to travel a distance of approximately 29 kilometers. If using a motorized vehicle, it takes between 50 to 60 minutes. Don’t worry, although the road is quite up and down and rocky, it can be passed by four-wheeled vehicles.
Tickets and Visiting Hours
To enter the Sendangsono Maria Cave, you will not be charged a fee, you only need to prepare IDR 10 thousand for parking fees if you use a car and IDR 2 thousand for a motorbike.
Although it is open 24 hours, you should avoid coming too late or when it is already dark, because the road to this place is winding. It will be easier to reach when it is bright. If you want to linger or spend the night in Sendangsono, there are homestays around the cave. Not only homestays, around the entrance there are many souvenir sellers such as candles, necklaces, to typical Kulon Progo foods that must be tried.
Visiting Tips
When visiting the Sendangsono Maria Cave, of course you want to get the right moment to make your worship even more perfect. Usually, Gua Maria Sendangsono is crowded with visitors when the month of Mary arrives, namely in May and October. In addition, in December when approaching Christmas, it is never quiet. Don’t forget to wear the most comfortable and polite clothes when visiting. Wearing shoes is certainly more advisable, especially when coming after rain because the roads are quite slippery. What you should not forget when visiting Gua Maria Sendangsono is to bring holy water which is usually provided in a plastic bottle container. Each person is only allowed to take a maximum of two bottles. The water is taken from the nearest spring.
Conclusion
That is the information about Sendangsono in Kalibawang, Kulonprogo. If you are a fan of spiritual tourism, this place is one of the recommended places to visit when in Yogyakarta. Hopefully this information is useful for you.
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