Kelimutu Lake, East Nusa Tenggara, Tourist Attractions in Indonesia That are World Famous
In addition to Lake Toba, Indonesia's world-famous lake tourism destination is Lake Kelimutu. This lake is a volcanic lake which is located at the peak of Mount Kelimutu. To reach this beautiful lake, you must do hiking first.
The specialty of this lake located on Flores Island is the view of the lake with three colors, namely: green, white and blue. Every year, this exotic lake is always visited by foreign tourists.
The specialty of this lake located on Flores Island is the view of the lake with three colors, namely: green, white and blue. Every year, this exotic lake is always visited by foreign tourists.
The mainstay of tourism in East Nusa Tenggara is not only about Komodo National Park. Because in this province there is also Lake Kelimutu, which is included in the area of Kelimutu National Park. The national park consists of hills and mountains, with the highest peak being Mount Kelibara which reaches 1,731 masl.
The area of the national park is 5356.50 hectares, consisting of 241 forest boundaries. This forest borders Kelimutu National Park with 24 villages located in 5 sub-districts in Ende Regency. The lake itself is at the peak of Mount Kelimutu which has a height of approximately 1,631 meters above sea level.
History of Lake Kelimutu
One of the most iconic places of the Kelimutu National Park is the lake. Historically, this beautiful lake was discovered in 1915 by B. Van Suchtelen, a Dutch military commander. At that time Suchtelen told local residents about the lake at the peak of Mount Kelimutu.
Suchtelen mentions that there are three lakes on top of this mountain, which have different colors. Residents who heard this at first did not believe it immediately, because the three colors of the lake mentioned by B. Van Suchtelen were the same as the colors of the Dutch flag.
Then the local residents proved themselves about the existence of the lake. The beauty of the lake is then summarized in a painting belonging to Y. Bouman, which was created in 1929. Since then, the name of the lake on the top of the mountain has become increasingly popular and has attracted a lot of attention from tourists.
The name Kelimutu is taken from the combination of two words namely "keli" and "mutu." Keli means mountain, and mutu means to boil. So that literally, the name Kelimutu can be interpreted as boiling mountain. However, the name Kelimutu is actually the name of the mountain, while the lake above the mountain has its own name.
The three lakes on top of Mount Kelimutu have the names Tiwu Ata Mbupu or Ata Mbupu, Tiwu Nuwa Muri Koo Fai, and Tiwu Ata Polo or Ata Polo. These lakes originate from phreatic eruptions that occurred in the past. Although it has its own name, this destination is known as Lake Kelimutu.
Myth of Kelimutu Lake
Almost every natural destination in some places always has a legend or myth that lives in society. It is said that Kelimutu lake which is on the top of this mountain is the place where the souls of the dead reside.
Image Source: wikimedia.org
This belief arises because the lake in the Kelimutu National Park can change color. Lake Tiwu Ata Mbupu is believed to be a place for the souls of parents who have died. Then Tiwu Nuwa Muri Koo Fai became a place for the souls of the young people who had died.
Meanwhile, Tiwu Ata Polo is believed to be a place for the souls of evil people who have died. Tiwu Nuwa Muri Koo Fai is the lake that changes color most often. If it is based on local people's beliefs, this is probably because the lake is a place for the souls of young people. So that it is still unstable and affects the color change of the water in the lake. Meanwhile, in the local language, tiwu itself has the meaning of lake. This is why every lake in this national park has a name with the prefix tiwu in its name.
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