Luhur Poten Temple
Luhur Poten Temple
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.0
71 reviews
Excellent
26
Very good
25
Average
18
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2
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0
The_Pale_Ridah
Gladesville, Australia1,952 contributions
Feb 2013 • Couples
The Pura Luhur Poten temple casts a lonely figure in the Sand Sea, overshadowed by the blasted Mt Bromo volcano adding to its dramatic character. The temple belongs to the Tengerese people, one of the last remnants of the Hindu Majapahit Kingdom which was destroyed in the 16th century by rampaging Muslim armies, who have held onto their old ways due to their mountainous isolation. The Hindus on Bali had also fled the same armies & are distant cousins of the Tengerese.
The black volcanic stone temple sits at the foot of Mt Batok directly next to Mt Bromo within the Tenger volcanic crater. It is a series of statues & structures within a walled courtyard organised into a basic mandala shape, the Hindu/Buddhist symbol of the universe. The temple gates were locked which is unusual for a place of worship, perhaps to shield the temple from strong winds that rush down Mt Batok’s steep slopes or to keep out annoying tourists. This roar of wind occurs regularly & is the only natural noise that can be heard from within the Sand Sea caldera. There is an interesting totem pole statute with what looks to be mythical animals from the Hindu epic but it can only be viewed by climbing up the wall & looking over the fence. The Tengerese hold an annual festival where offerings & live animal sacrifices are thrown down into the volcanic crater to appease their gods. This Yadnya Kasada festival is the highlight of the local calendar involving shamans & village elders dressed in colourful clothes performing spells, chants & marriages, same same as priests & holy men. Similarly, the mountain people of the Dieng Plateau hundreds of kilometres away constructed hundreds of temples inside the crater of a volcano & dedicated them to Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction.
Further up from the temple, Mt Bromo is named after Brahma, the Hindu god of creation. The relationship between the volcano’s destructive power & the Hindu god of creation is clear, the Tengerese understood that after the destructive lava destroyed & cooled down breaking into soft dirt this proved to be highly fertile making cultivation of food crops possible. Volcanic soil contains high traces of essential nutrients such as nitrogen, potassium & phosphorous, things found in most high quality fertilisers.
Most visitors to Mt Bromo are taken on tour packages to experience the sunrise from the Mt Penanjakan lookout. They are then transported down into the caldera & onto the Sand Sea to park just before the Pura Luhur Poten temple which is on the path up to the Mt Bromo viewing area. Any hotel in the village of Cemoro Lawang or tour to Mt Bromo can organise this. The walk from Cemoro Lawang to the temple & onto Mt Bromo takes about an hour & is a pretty good way to experience the Sand Sea relatively free of annoying people.
The black volcanic stone temple sits at the foot of Mt Batok directly next to Mt Bromo within the Tenger volcanic crater. It is a series of statues & structures within a walled courtyard organised into a basic mandala shape, the Hindu/Buddhist symbol of the universe. The temple gates were locked which is unusual for a place of worship, perhaps to shield the temple from strong winds that rush down Mt Batok’s steep slopes or to keep out annoying tourists. This roar of wind occurs regularly & is the only natural noise that can be heard from within the Sand Sea caldera. There is an interesting totem pole statute with what looks to be mythical animals from the Hindu epic but it can only be viewed by climbing up the wall & looking over the fence. The Tengerese hold an annual festival where offerings & live animal sacrifices are thrown down into the volcanic crater to appease their gods. This Yadnya Kasada festival is the highlight of the local calendar involving shamans & village elders dressed in colourful clothes performing spells, chants & marriages, same same as priests & holy men. Similarly, the mountain people of the Dieng Plateau hundreds of kilometres away constructed hundreds of temples inside the crater of a volcano & dedicated them to Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction.
Further up from the temple, Mt Bromo is named after Brahma, the Hindu god of creation. The relationship between the volcano’s destructive power & the Hindu god of creation is clear, the Tengerese understood that after the destructive lava destroyed & cooled down breaking into soft dirt this proved to be highly fertile making cultivation of food crops possible. Volcanic soil contains high traces of essential nutrients such as nitrogen, potassium & phosphorous, things found in most high quality fertilisers.
Most visitors to Mt Bromo are taken on tour packages to experience the sunrise from the Mt Penanjakan lookout. They are then transported down into the caldera & onto the Sand Sea to park just before the Pura Luhur Poten temple which is on the path up to the Mt Bromo viewing area. Any hotel in the village of Cemoro Lawang or tour to Mt Bromo can organise this. The walk from Cemoro Lawang to the temple & onto Mt Bromo takes about an hour & is a pretty good way to experience the Sand Sea relatively free of annoying people.
Written July 3, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
hazelineng
Singapore, Singapore94 contributions
Aug 2019
Because of the recent eruption of Mt Bromo, we were not allowed to climb up the stairs to the crater. So I spend some time around the temple. It seems closed but there is a small openings at the door, I saw some tourists went in so I also went in. It's not very big but the structures are very unique.
Written August 19, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bearie241
Singapore, Singapore138 contributions
Jun 2017 • Friends
nice lone temple before reaching mt bromo. lovely place to take photos with the milkyway when there is no mist. we went at odd hours to avoid crowds.
Written September 13, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
wiwiafrina
Jakarta, Indonesia199 contributions
Jul 2017 • Friends
The temple located in Mount bromo where the landscape is beautiful. Every bromo tour always include this place on their itinerary.
Written August 9, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bryan G
Adelaide, Australia90 contributions
Aug 2018 • Solo
Reasonably pretty temple for a quick stopover or rest prior to climbing up Mount Bromo. Otherwise, you're not missing anything if you give this a miss. The temple actually looks more picturesque from the summit of Mount Bromo.
Written September 28, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mrunalini B
Singapore96 contributions
Apr 2017 • Couples
This temple is located right at the base of mount Bromo, in the middle of the sea of sand. Very well maintained. We happened to visit during local celebrations, the temple was beautifully decorated, and so crowded with locals who had gathered to worship and offer their prayers. do visit !!
Written April 19, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lian Tiong G
Subang Jaya, Malaysia4,383 contributions
Dec 2019 • Family
The Poten Temple (Pura Luhur Poten) is one of the holiest temple for the Tenggernese people. Located in the middle of the Laut Pasir near the foot of Mount Bromo. As we ascend the Mount Bromo, the view of the temple is majesticly surrounded by moutain ranges. Unfortunately we did not visit the temple after we decended Mount Bromo as we have to rush for. another spot. Nevertheless, having a bird"s eye view of the temple was satisfying.
Written December 24, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
yousufkurniawan
Banjarbaru, Indonesia158 contributions
Feb 2019 • Family
The temple is belong to Tengger community, the native of Bromo and surrounding. It is nice to stop by before ascend to Bromo crater. The temple looks nice from the peak.
Written February 5, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
yopiefranz
Bandar Lampung, Indonesia645 contributions
Jun 2018 • Friends
A recommended place to visit to see the rites of Tengger People before going up to the crater of mount Bromo.
We visited at 3 am, so many people also come.
It is interesting to come on "Exotica Bromo 2018".
With friends,
30 June 2018
We visited at 3 am, so many people also come.
It is interesting to come on "Exotica Bromo 2018".
With friends,
30 June 2018
Written June 29, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tian Q
Pulau Ubin, Singapore45 contributions
Oct 2017
When you go to bromo, you will pass by the temple. There are three Hindo gods. Ladies should avoid to go during menstrual period.
Written October 15, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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