Mbah Jalun and Situ Gunung – The Legend A round Puncak

MBAH JALUN AND SITU GUNUNG – THE LEGEND A ROUND PUNCAK

Sometimes fact merges into legend, as in the case of the famous leader, Mbah Jalun, a son of the King of Mataram. He led a long and arduous campaign against the Dutch in the first half of the 19th century. After pursuing rather nomadic lifestyles, he made his base in the Cianjur area. Stories tell of his trekking through the forest of Gede and Pangrango to avoid capture. On several tell of his trekking through caught and sentenced to death but escaped miraculously each time, seemingly by employing great mystic powers. Eventually he settled down on the southern slopes of mountains. It is said that Mount Masigit, one of the smaller peaks in the park, derives its name from the belief that Mbah Jalun built a mosque there. According to local tradition the birth of a son prompted him to leave a permanent legacy for future generations, and so in 1817 he created a lake, Situ Gunung, on the southern slopes of the National Park – now a popular picnic spot. In old age Mbah Jalun was once more discovered by the authorities and again taken into captivity. Once more he escaped and made his way westwards, but a hard life had taken its toll and he died a few months later at the age of 71. He was buried at Kampung Baru, near Bogor, around 1840.

SITU GUNUNG Located at Kecamatan Kadu Dampit, Sukabumi