Mount Mahameru

We have witnessed a time of madness
In which everyone is confused in his mind
One cannot bear to join in the madness
But if he does not do so, he will not share in the spoils
And will starve as result

Indeed, it is the will of God
That those who are careful and vigilant
Are much happier than those who are careless.
[Kalatida - Javanese The Age Of Darkness verse]

About The Pics:
The Words Mahameru come from ancient Hindi Sanskrit words Maha = Almighty and Meru = Tops Of The Top; it was the Javanese Nietzsche Vesuvius.
Mount Mahameru or Semeru (+3,680m) on Java is the highest mountain that have long beautiful Legend stories and also mystery which already adopted by Javanese from the stories of Mahabrata. I'm not really remember the stories because mouth telling version from my grandpa or my father were complicated and confusing too, they have mixed culture, mystic and philosophy and adopted to their own Jogjakarta version.
I Will started fro Histories to made it not complicated to understand.The Javanese culture separate in two mainstream ones belongs the Kingdom of Majapahit (Hinduism) and the Kingdoms of Mataram (Buddhism + Hinduism + Islam); and it have their own long stories that told in "Babad Tanah Java = The History Of Java Land" it just comparable to your stories "The Fall Of Rome", my grandpa have not told about Mahabrata if he told Babad Tanah Jawa and probably he just want to bring culture beliefs like Hitler bring Mein Kampf but sometimes it become Mein Krampft. Of course he is not fascist but he just proud to be the Indonesian Javanese like Bavarian proud to be German Bavarian with their Leder Hose, again "Liebe Gruesse Aus Den Leder Hose" my friends ;-).

THE STORY OF MAHAMERU
In my birthplaces Jogjakarta there is also a groups temple called Lorojonggrang which exactly replicated of Mount Semeru.On the middle of complex is main temple symbolizing as Siva (the Destructor) and left and right temple symbolizing Brahma and Vishnu. Lorojongrang complex relic is symbiosis of Hinduism and Buddhism that could be easy seens on Shiva stand on a Lotus flowers, it showing that the mutual understanding/spirits of tolerance have been adopted long times ago on Java as well as it happened in India continent.

Bali on Java influence
The Balinese cremated the dead in fire, and the body-bone ashes crushed into powder and thrown into the sea where it dissolves in water.They have believes when the water evaporates it turns into wind in form of vapor and ascends as the soul. The family left can made contact with the the dead souls, by erecting an altar in temple complex in form of pagodas.They called it then Meru as their mediators, which derived from the words Mahameru
The Balinese have believes that Mount Agung father is Mount Mahameru then they come to Mahameru if something happened on Bali, since they believes it could be happened because the Mount Agung Father was angry.
Of course it was true, cause both of Vulcan stay on the same active lines which spread starting from central Asia to small Sundanese island on Indonesia.

BATTLE ON THE SKY
In Baratayudha that was never ending battle on the sky between the good and the bad epic; thus we believes it's the nature harmony of cyclical history of human being. As well as Battle On The Sky the wayang puppet exhibit always begun and end by appearing of Gunungan Mountain symbol (the figure on my pics).
In gunungan there are many character symbol, and most important for me is Banteng or Buffalo which have Character symbol of honesty, and unbeatable struggle spirits to realized a sacred missions The Battle On The Sky could not comparable to nonsense battle against the Wind Mill of Don Quixote De La Mancha or Battle for money of Sancho's.

Adios Amigo Might God Bless Us