The men feel nothing when the dance is over,” says Sarwo Edi, spiritual Jaranan practitioner. “They don’t even realize what they have done. No injuries or illnesses appear.”

West Java calls it Kuda Lumping. In Central Java it’s Jatilan. To East Java it’s Jaranan. In this part of East Java, just off of Ijen – a volcano spewing blue fire and sulfur – the Jaranan is an intense ritual of spiritual passion and trance-induced savagery. To film this practice with such intimate access is a truly unique opportunity.

Returning only a short time from the otherworldly sights of Ijen, there was yet another planet waiting at a little village near the Ijen Resort and Villas.

5 mins reading time
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