Bledug Kuwu, the Circus of Mud

[caption id="attachment_26670" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Wikipedia"][/caption] While thousands of people considering Sidoarjo mud volcano as disaster, villagers living in Kuwu of Kradenan, Grobogan regency, Central Java regards mud burst on their village as a gift from nature. Bledug Kuwu, the local name for the mud burst, is an example of volcanic activity lasting for few hundred years and still continuing. To witness this natural phenomenon, Kuwu can be reached within an hour driving from Purwodadi, the capital town of Grobogan regency. Bledug Kuwu is now the most prominent natural attraction on the regency. Entering the area, one will easily notice the big difference on the  atmosphere from the forest surrounding it. The barren dried mud has no vegetation and infertile. In contrast to the nearby villages, the surroundings of Bledug Kuwu is much hotter. On the midday, its temperature could reach 31 Celsius degree. Its ground zero is mainly a hole always filled with hot volcanic mud. On its 650 sq m epicenter, hot liquid mud is still flooding the area and explosion from geothermal activity is still heard continuously. The most interesting part of this natural phenomenon is when the flammable gas coming out from the earth is blocked by the mud. Increasing pressure of the gas from geothermal activity causes large explosion. Average explosion happens consecutively once every two or three minutes could lift the mud and water up to 5 meters into the air. Locals say that a big burst could even create small quakes that quiver the area. [caption id="attachment_26671" align="alignright" width="192" caption="Grobogan.co.id"][/caption] The eruption spots shift positions from time to time. According to myth, locals name the main spot in the east Mbah Jokotuo and one to the west Mbah Rodenok and consider them sacred. Today, the mud covers some 40 acres of surrounding field with the highest altitude reaching 53 m above sea level. For locals living on the villages nearby, Bledug Kuwu has long been considered as an important source for their income. This area has long famous as the main producer of indigenous salt. Scientific research revealed that the salt from the area, unlike that of sea water, naturally contains high amounts of iodine. Locals name the salt Garam Bleng. The existence of salt and a grass species called Suket Grinting are likely the source of the myth about Bledug Kuwu having a channel connected to the South Sea. Taking the mythical Medang Kamolan kingdom as its setting, it tells that Joko Linglung, the main character, made the channel when heading to Indian Ocean to the south to defeat his enemy and back. According to several historical record, the phenomenon of Bledug Kuwu has existed long before the  establishment of Old Mataram Kingdom (732M-928M). The name itself came from local interpretation of the phenomenon. Bledug means explosion or explode and Kuwu, derived from the word Kuwur, means burst or scattered on the air.