Jatijajar Cave

Welcome to Jatijajar Cave

Jatijajar cave was naturally shaped out of limestone. It was discovered by a farmer namely Jayamenawi in 1802 A.D., when he was grassing then suddenly sunk into a hole. Some people lent a hand for him to come out of the hole by uncovering the thick grass covering the hole. Finally, they realized that the hole led to a cave which was assumed for having three ventilations on the wall.

The entire length of the cave is 250 meters, scattering from the entrance door to the way out. Not only that, the cave is 12 meters high, 15 meters square of width,10 meters of the canopy and situated at an altitude of 50 meters.

It was Suparjo Rustam – the Governor of Central Java -  who had an idea to develop Jatijajar Cave as a valuable tourism destination in 1975. The building process was conducted by CV. AIS, Yogyakarta, headed by Saptoto, a famous dioramic expert coming from Yogyakarta. After that, the further management was taken over by the local government of Kebumen.

A spurting-water dinosaur statue, in front of the cave, symbolizes the urgency of the cave. People entering the location will pass by the mouth of the statue. The spurting-water from the statue‘s mouth comes from the Kantil River and the Mawar River. It is believed that the water never dries up even in drought season. Often, the water is utilized for irrigating the people‘s farms.

Exploring into the cave, you will see the wondrous scenery of surrounding area. Flickering lamps lightening the entrance door to the way out, enhance the comfort of your visit. Thus you are not necessary to be afraid of the illumination inside the cave. Some holes on the wall of the cave function as ventilation so that the air circulation within the cave keep on stable. In the center of the cave, there is a circle stone for your seat when you are tired, so you can keep enjoying the beauty of the cave.

About eight dioramas with 32 effigies depicting the story of Raden Kamandaka (commonly known as the story of  Lutung Kasarung) – the son of Padjajaran King – who lived as an ascetic in the cave looking for divine inspiration, can be watch therein. He lived as an ascetic in Jatijajar Cave because the location, at the time, included into the territory of Padjajaran Kingdom (now West Java)  with Bogor (cited in Batutulis inscription) as the capital.

While the entrace door to the cave is the mouth of dinosaur statue, the way out of the cave is the tail of the statue. The distinction of the cave from other caves in Indonesia is the existence of four underground rivers (seven in other sources) listed below: the Mawar River, the kantil River, the Jombor River, and the Puser Bumi River. The Mawar River and the Kantil River flow through narrow fissures penetrating the wall to the way out. By washing our face by the water of the Mawat River, it is assumed for being able to make us stay young. And, washing our face by the water of the Kantil River can make our dreams come true. The last two underground rivers, the Puser Bumi River and the Jombor River are intentionally considered as sacred by the management of the cave. People who want ot explore those two underground rivers must have permission from the management first.

Jatijajar Cave Location

Jatijajar Cave lies in Jatijajar Village, Ayah Sub-district, Kebumen District, Central Java Province, Indonesia. It is about 21 km away southwetern direction of Gombong Sub-district. You can take either public or private transportation remembering the location of Jatijajar Cave can be easily accessed. For you taking public transportation, you need to take bus passing by Gombong – Jatijajar route from Gombong bus station.