Majapahit's Gunung Penanggungan: The Sacred Mountain of a Hundred Temples

Majapahit: The Empire That Once Ruled Indonesia — Fexingo History · Jun 2, 2026 · 6m · transcript

Mount Penanggungan, a small volcanic peak in East Java, was once the holiest site in the Majapahit Empire. While the grand capital of Trowulan has been heavily excavated, Penanggungan's slopes are dotted with over 120 hermitages, meditation caves, and shrine terraces—more temples than any other mountain in Indonesia. This episode explores why this mountain was so sacred, how it became a microcosm of the Hindu-Buddhist cosmos, and what the sites reveal about Majapahit's spiritual life. We visit Candi Kendalisodo, a bathing pool complex dedicated to the goddess Durga; Gua Pasir, a…