Mrapen Eternal Fire: History, Location, and Function
YOGYAKARTA - The eternal fire of Mrapen in Manggarmas Village, Godong District, Grobogan Regency, Central Java, was extinguished again on 30/01/2025. The South Kendeng Regional Energy and Mineral Resources Agency (ESDM) immediately conducted an inspection.
The Mrapen Eternal Fire had experienced a total blackout from September 2020 to April 2021. This was due to a gas flow leak due to well drilling activities.
In its history, the Mrapen Eternal Fire has an interesting origin. This is also in line with the function of the fire which is often used for several important events.
Quoted from the official website of the Central Java Provincial Culture Development Sector, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, the Surakarta City Government, and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, below is an overview of the Mrapen Eternal Flame.
History of the Eternal Fire of MrapenThe origin of the Mrapen Eternal Fire began with the collapse of the Majapahit Kingdom in 1524. Furthermore, the Demak Kingdom became the sole ruler with the status of an Islamic kingdom in Java.
As the King of the Demak Kingdom at that time, Raden Patah wanted to make Demak City as the center of government, trade center, and the spread of Islam to all of Java. Therefore, as a symbol of the Islamic state, a Grand Mosque was established in Demak.
The construction of the Demak Grand Mosque uses a porch that was previously a Majapahit palace. The Majapahit palace was brought to Demak by troops led directly by Sunan Kalijaga.
On the way to bring the Majapahit flag, the troops felt tired and rested when they arrived at Mrapen. However, because there was no drinking water at the rest area, Sunan Kalijaga also fasted and prayed to God to give water to his troops.
After praying, Sunan Kalijaga planted his stick into the ground and then pulled it out. However, when it was pulled out, it was not water that appeared but a fire that could not be extinguished. The place where the fire appeared is what we know today as the location of the Mrapen Eternal Fire.
Where is the location of the Mrapen Eternal Fire?The Mrapen Eternal Fire is located in Mrapi, Manggarmas, Godong District, Grobogan Regency. The Mrapen Eternal Fire is one of the flagship attractions in Grobogan Regency.
For those of you who want to go to the Mrapen Eternal Fire from the center of Purwodadi City, it will cover a distance of approximately 27 kilometers. Access to this tourist attraction can be reached by two-wheeled or four-wheeled private vehicles.
Visitors must pay an entrance ticket which costs only Rp3,000 per person. Furthermore, it is also required to pay a parking fee of Rp2,000 for motorbikes and Rp5,000 for cars. Visitors can visit every day for 24 hours.
Mrapen Eternal Fire FunctionThe fire from the Mrapen Eternal Flame is often used for several important and historical events. Below are some important events that have used the Mrapen Eternal Flame:
Ganefo International Sports Festival 1963The Ganefo International Sports Festival is a sports festival that competes with the Olympics, which was initiated by President Soekarno. Ganefo itself is an abbreviation of the Games of the New Emerging Forces.
Ganefo was first held in Jakarta on November 10, 1963. The fire used in the opening ceremony of Ganefo was using fire from the Mrapen Eternal Fire.
National Sports Week (PON)In the implementation of PON X 1981 and PON XIV 1996, the fire for the opening ceremony utilized the source from the Mrapen Eternal Fire.
SEA Games 2011In the 26th Southeast Asian Games in 2011, the fire for the opening ceremony used a source from the Mrapen Eternal Flame. The SEA Games in this edition were held in Jakarta and Palembang.
Asian Games and Asian Para Games 2018The 18th edition of the Asian Games will be held in Jakarta and Palembang. The Mrapen Eternal Flame is used as a source of fire for the opening ceremony of that edition.
ASEAN Para Games 2022The 2022 ASEAN Para Games, which was held in the city of Surakarta, used the source of fire for the opening ceremony from the Mrapen Eternal Flame.
The celebration of the Trisuci Waisak DayIn the series of events to celebrate Hari Trisuci Waisak, the source of fire was also taken from the Mrapen Eternal Fire.
That's the review of the Mrapen Eternal Fire. Hopefully useful. Visit VOI.id for other interesting information.