Sunday 22 September 2013

Sewu Waterfall “A Hidden Amazing Waterfall”



We can go to Malang by taking some ways from different directions such as south from Kepanjen district, east from Lawang district, or north passing Pujon-Ngantang way. When you are taking north way specifically taking winding road, please spare your time to see the beautiful scenery of Panderman Mountain with its fresh green huge trees, and sometimes you can hear the crowd of birds which sing and fly. If you are lucky, you will have chance to see the beauty of jungle monkeys and dears. Moreover, if you realize, you will find an amazing and natural waterfall in your sight which has not been popular tourism resort that serves you different views if it is compared with tens other waterfalls in Batu and Malang. This waterfall is called Coban Sewu or Sewu Waterfall.   
This waterfall is one of tourism resort which is located in Bendosari village, Pujon district, Malang, East Java. Exactly on the second kilometers on the left, to Ngantang district from Dewi Sri traditional market and public swimming pool in Pujon. The tall of this waterfall is approximately thirty meters and it has approximately two up to four meters wide. The source of the water of this waterfall comes from two rivers in Cukal village and Dadapan Wetan village which geographically situated on the east of Bendosari village on the hill. For Bendosari villagers this waterfall means much since it provides new workplace for selling food and merchandise on the side of footpath to waterfall, also all villagers who are actually still in one family are really helped since the water from the waterfall can be used to run the electric generator to supply the need of electricity for the whole villagers in Bendosari village. 
Maybe it is little bit difficult for you who rarely go to Malang trough north way (Pujon-Ngantang way) to find Sewu waterfall. It is because the entrance to the site of the waterfall is on the left of the turn of the street. Since, the village governors plan that this waterfall will be announced to public as tourism resort in 2015, so there is no sign to show the place, the entrance just can be detected with the existence of orange green hanging bridge which has been established at January 26th, 2011. Stop and park your car in Bendosari Public Elementary School and your motorcycle in the villagers’ garage which have been established as parking space. The parking spaces are situated across the hanging bridge on different sides of the street. It may be your cheapest experience to visit tourism resort with unforgettable views, because you do not need to pay much for parking and entrance ticket, you just need to write your name, address, and phone number in an attendants’ book and put your money, the amount is up to you, in a charity box placed on the lips of the hanging bridge. 
The scenery which you can enjoy as you go down from your vehicle until you go to the waterfall is really amazing. When your feet step on the hanging bridge, the natural panorama of the green yellowish farms greet you with the crackle sounds of Brantas river water which flow exactly under the bridge. After passing the bridge, your eyes will be spoiled with the fresh of various green trees in different and unique shape of trunk at the time you walk through a tidy river stone footpath. The fresh unpolluted air will make your body healthier. In the middle of the path, you will meet some farmers and villagers who just come back from the forest and greet you in friendly way. After you have walked for about five hundred meters from the lips of the bridge, your tired will be paid with the beauty of  Sewu waterfall which is hidden by huge shady green tree in front of your sight.   
If you have arrived in the area of waterfall, you will meet “Punden” stone or sacred stone as the representative of Goddess, which is sometimes used to pray to Goddess since you can find many incense sticks embedded to the soil near to it. Also, you will find four big buildings; they are musholla (small mosque), canopy building with Chinese architecture which can be used by visitors to sit and take a rest, male and female restrooms, and a turbine near with its electric generator which those are built in line from your left to the right. To get closer to the pond of waterfall, there is a small bridge goes to the falling water on the pond. Before you enter that small bridge, you will see a small “pagoda” or small Chinese temple as place to put incense stick and on the right side there is a huge tree with an altar with some offerings to Goddess like frankincense (in bahasa Indonesia : kemenyan), flowers, traditional cigarette (in bahasa Indonesia : rokok klobot), and incense stick. This situation brings magical and sacred nuances to the waterfall.     
Base on the result of the interview with a villager, Miss. Anna,  Sewu waterfall is really famous among Chinese people. There was a story that some years ago there was a Chinese father which was confused by his son who was paralyzed. The father had brought his son to some hospitals and doctors to cure his son. Unfortunately, his son had not been cured and suffered the same illness for years. Approximately it was 10 years ago when waterfall had never been touched by the outsiders; the father who was in half surrender brought the son to the waterfall and wash his son legs and hands with a hope that his son would be normal and healthy again. Magically, in seconds the son got his health and was cured from being paralyzed. Furthermore, the father promised that he would build some tourism facilities around the waterfall and would do Chinese custom ceremony in the waterfall to show his thousands gratitude for his son’s health. Since then, many Chinese have visited the waterfall and at least 30 visitors a day enjoy the beauty of the waterfall. Moreover in Jum’at legi, a Javanese calendar naming for one Friday in a month, Chinese and Javanese custom ceremonies are held there. Sometimes, on that day some people from different places in east Java visit this waterfall for meditation. So, in the future Sewu waterfall will be an important spot in Malang which will attract thousands people to come to Malang. (Afif IM – LC)

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