“A six-centuries-old tradition, showing allegiance to the mountain gods, feels like a religious test of endurance, writes Justin Egli recounting what he witnessed atop the volcano.”

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In 2014 I climbed to the top of an active volcano in Indonesia at midnight to witness a very unique festival. It was an extremely intense experience, with pilgrims throwing live sacrifices into the heart of the caldera.

I’m really happy to have my account of the experience published by New Mandala – an academic site hosted by the The Australian National University’s Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs.

While I don’t always agree with some of the practices and rituals I have seen on my travels, I do think it’s important to learn about and experience different cultures first-hand. To date I think this is the only written and visual account that exists of the festival in total darkness – and it’s great that travel writing can also be appreciated in academic circles.

Article and photography here.

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