Money and live animals thrown into volcanic crater to appease mountain gods

Every year, during the Hindu festival of Yadnya Kasada, the Tenggerese people climb up to the edge of the crater of Mount Bromo and throw coins, fruit, vegetables and live animals into the volcano as offerings to the mountain gods. However, not all of their offerings reach the gods. Locals from a nearby village in Probolinggo, East Java, Indonesia wait inside the crater with nets hoping to catch the money and food.

The festival has its origins in the 15th century when a princess named Roro Anteng started the principality of Tengger with her husband Joko Seger, and the childless couple asked the mountain gods for help in bearing children. The legend has it that the gods granted them 24 children on the provision that the 25th must be tossed into the volcano in sacrifice. Although the couple initially refused, they eventually agreed, and their 25th child, Kesuma, was finally sacrificed. The tradition of throwing sacrifices into the caldera to appease the mountain gods continues today.

The Tenggerese or Tengger people live in villages in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in east-central Java. They are generally Hindu, but they also worship Ida Sang Hyang Widi Wasa, which translates as "Big Almighty Lord", as well as several Buddhist deities. The main Tenggerese temple is Pura Luhur Poten on the Sea of Sands at the foot of Mount Bromo. They gather here before setting off up Mount Bromo with their offerings for the mountain gods.