Christ Blessing and the Waruga
Now we were back in mainland North Sulawesi, we headed to Citraland, a prestigious address located approximately 7km to the south of downtown Manado. Affectionately called ‘The City of Blessing’, it’s renowned for its blessing giver, the colossal statue of Christ that guards the township below.
There He was! Jesus reaching out to the city’s inhabitants with the Big Ben on the left
It was certainly odd to find a huge statue of Jesus Christ in the world’s most populous Muslim country. It was even more inconceivable to learn that this monument is Asia’s 2nd largest Christ statue after the one in the Vietnamese city of Vũng Tàu and ranks 3rd globally. The statue is similar in height (30m) as the iconic Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, but it’s very much taller than its Brazilian counterpart when the 20-metre tall pedestal it was erected on is included in the count, thus pushing the overall height of this stunning religious monument to a staggering 50m.
In case you didn’t already know, there’s another 27-metre tall Cristo Rei (“Christ the King”) of Dili statue in the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (East Timor), which was a gift from the Indonesian Government to the overwhelmingly Roman Catholic East Timorese when the former Portuguese colony was still a province of the island republic.
The Christ Blessing Monument (Monumen Yesus Memberkati) is said to be the world’s first ‘flying’ statue on a grand scale. The tilt symbolizes the Resurrection of Jesus and how He blessed His disciples prior to His ascension to Heaven.
Seeing that the ruckus over ‘Allah’ has yet to totally subside, I just don’t think we’ll get to see anything like this being erected on our own soil anytime soon. Any attempt to raise a grand Christian monument will instantly be seen as a glaring challenge and threat to undermine Islam’s role as the state religion of this country, especially when Christianity has always been viewed in a negative light by the Muslim majority.
To add insult to injury, the recent move to divide Malaysian Christians into 2 geographical entities (i.e. Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia) by imposing 2 different sets of laws was totally beyond me. For the sake of political power, our Government has stooped so low to become so inconsistent in their ruling like the temper tantrums of a lil’ kiddy. And then there’s the involvement of JAKIM (Department of Islamic Development Malaysia).
Excuse me… Since when these guys have the jurisdiction over non-Muslims? All these people really think that they’re the Pope or something, trying to dictate what Christians should do and what they should not. Even the current Pope does not speak for all Christendom. Perhaps they should run for elections in the Vatican instead. 1Malaysia? Utter bullshit.
Somehow I think that Indonesia is in many ways more enlightened and tolerant than this land in terms of human rights and freedom of religion, despite the occasional religious strife and the small yet visible extremist presence. My message to our neighbour next door ~ keep it up! :)
Grand, beautiful homes in Citraland
A very nice fountain with a Graeco-Roman goddess as the centrepiece
With Christ ‘flying’ in the background, LOL!
Next, we headed to the Sawangan village in Airmadidi, a small town that lies in the shadow of Mt. Klabat. The village is famous as the site of the Waruga, the ancestral tombs of the Minahasan people before the advent of Dutch colonization.
As with other cemeteries, this place was eerily silent yet very peaceful
There were 144 of these stone sarcophagi in total, and I’d never been so full of curiosity at a graveyard before. The Waruga was said to have existed for thousands of years. The tombs in this village ranged from different periods of time, some dating back as far as the 1st millenium. Distinct reliefs of various motifs were carved on the tombstones, and they all had symbolic meanings behind it. Many of them had an interesting tale to tell.
This was supposedly the tomb of a mother who died during labour. See the baby popping out from his mother’s womb?
These unadorned tombstones must’ve been from an earlier period
The horizontal markings on the carrot-like relief tell you the number of individuals buried in the tomb. The one shown here could’ve accommodated a family of 7.
Came in all shapes and sizes…
Actually, this is not the original burial site of the Minahasans. During the 19th century, a sudden outbreak of cholera and tuberculosis had led the Dutch colonial government to outlaw the practice. Subsequently, many tombs around the region were gathered up and relocated to the present site.
Creepy-looking frangipani trees constantly reminds you of your locality
Also around the same time, the Minahasans were gradually being Christianized, whose traditions require the bodies to be interred in a proper way. These events ultimately led to the demise of this ancient burial custom as the region became increasingly Dutch and Christian in social behaviours and practices.
Besides the Waruga, one can also find contemporary graves of various religious communities outside the walls of the compound.
Wall reliefs depicting the daily lives of the ancient Minahasan people
The Minahasan men of the olden days were said to be of Herculean strength and stature, thus enabling them to hand-carve the tombs from the nearby volcanic rocks and lug these huge stones to their destination via manpower
How the dead was buried…
A museum in traditional Minahasan architecture near the entrance of the Waruga
Porcelain wares from Imperial China, possibly brought here by early Chinese traders
Even the Dutch royal family had made it here!
Compilation of MANADO & NORTH SULAWESI TRIP 2009
- PART I : The forgotten frontiers: Tales from Manado and North Sulawesi
- PART II : Great churches of Manado
- PART III: In the shadows of volcanoes: Manado Bay and its harbour
- PART IV : Off to Bunaken
- PART V : Livin’ la vida Bunaken’s way
- PART VI : Bunaken’s blue, blue seas
c a t e g o r y | passport to nowhere
f l u f f e r p u f f | cemeteries . indonesia . museums . religions & spirituality . society . sulawesi . travel
14 sOleiLians
Bunaken’s blue, blue seas
It was a day we all looked forward to since our arrival in Bunaken ~ snorkelling! We’d be utter fools if we didn’t go for a nice dip in the waters that have been hailed as one of the top 10 dive sites in the world. Moreover, the weather was too good to resist and we couldn’t seem to find excuses to say no!
Good morning from Bunaken!
Heading towards Siladen, a much smaller isle to the northeast of Bunaken
Approaching Siladen…
You gotta love the spectacular landscape of North Sulawesi. The mainland’s rolling mountains were visible from most parts of the Bunaken National Marine Park. It was also possible to see Mt. Klabat, Sulawesi’s highest volcano (the cone-shaped peak in the picture) from here too!
Amazing rock formations at Siladen’s coast
It was still hard for me to believe that this guy was in his 60’s! Does he in any way look like an ageing old man to you? Look… His hair was still ebony!
My friend’s got a blue starfish!
Havin’ the time of their lives with the Siladen Island on the horizon
How peaceful and serene…
Another starfish! This one was found at the coast of Bunaken.
Did I tell you guys that the underwater world was simply breathtakingly amazing? The corals were so beautiful and they came in an array of magnificent colours and all shapes and sizes. And best of all, the coral bed literally stretched from the island shores all the way to the middle of nowhere! Basically, all those parts of the islands submerged in water were overrun by – yes, you guess it right – corals! I wished I had with me a waterproof camera (or an underwater housing for my cam) because there isn’t a word that can aptly describe what we saw down there. If you’re wholly disappointed with the pathetic dead corals scene in West Malaysian seas, then you really, really should come to Bunaken. This snorkelling excursion was the prime highlight of our whole North Sulawesi tour, and we unanimously agreed that it was superb!
Back to Bunaken Island for lunch and a short rest before we returned to the sea for another snorkelling adventure
Shot in the 16:9 ratio. This makes a great wallpaper for widescreen computer displays.
Now this is my current wallpaper! :D
If you think this trip is all about fun and thrills, you’re wrong then. There were lurking dangers as well, similar to any other water activities. The coral bed close to the shores was like 1 or 2m beneath the sea surface before the sea terrain took a dramatic twist and plunged deep into the endless depths of the sea in the form of a sharp vertical wall.
However, my concern was neither about the wall nor the unseen sea floor, but the shallow coral bed that seemed so innocent and harmless to us. Since I was the last to take the dip in the sea, my friends were already yards ahead of me. But the sea currents – though not strong – kept coming my way, thus rendering my effort to reunite with them to be futile.
Manado Tua Island! An extinct (or perhaps dormant) volcano rising from the depths of the Celebes Sea
Look how bluish-green the sea water was! I think ‘turquoise’ is the right word to describe the colour. Oh by the way, are you able to spot the corals beneath it as well?
Awesome pose from our boatman!
Bunaken’s primary church was so huge that it could be seen from afar!
Oh, how I miss the crystal clear sea waters of Bunaken…
Suddenly, a huge patch of coral bed which was just a foot beneath my feet started to emerge before my eyes. It was probably the scariest and most arduous moment I ever had in the sea. In order not to accidentally step on those pretty yet daunting sea formations, I had to shrink and contort my legs as if I suffered from a terrible muscle cramp while I depended on my arms to pull through. You know, the corals hurt! But the worst was yet to come. There were hundreds of sea urchins further ahead, and how I wished all these were over. Throughout the whole ordeal, I was so worried that my poor legs would suddenly let go and had me stepped on those vicious-looking balls of spines. Imagine what would’ve happened if I did. Ouch…
Us!
Bunaken’s pier with the Manado Tua volcano trying to take a peek from behind
As the night drew closer, we were reminded of our last stay on the island
Yet another gloomy morning… I woke up at 5 something each day just to catch Bunaken’s sunrise, but alas, we couldn’t do anything to bring the sun out as the whole region was in the midst of the annual wet season. *sigh*
Au revoir, Bunaken! I’ll definitely be back one day. Hope you’ll still remain as pristine as before on my next return!
Compilation of MANADO & NORTH SULAWESI TRIP 2009
- PART I : The forgotten frontiers: Tales from Manado and North Sulawesi
- PART II : Great churches of Manado
- PART III: In the shadows of volcanoes: Manado Bay and its harbour
- PART IV : Off to Bunaken
- PART V : Livin’ la vida Bunaken’s way
c a t e g o r y | passport to nowhere
f l u f f e r p u f f | indonesia . sulawesi . travel . volcanoes
21 sOleiLians
Livin’ la vida Bunaken’s way
Like many islands in the world, Bunaken Island has its own established island community where they live a simple and rustic life, reminiscent of those in the traditional Malay villages back in good ol’ Malaysia. The islanders are pretty much a close-knit community, an element that is virtually absent in most modern-day societies. Still largely spared from the vicious encroachment and disillusionment with the material world, exuberance, optimism, and genuineness shone through each and every island folk I met in Bunaken. Man, I was in love with this place alright!
As always, a pictorial tour of Bunaken Island’s village life…
Quaint village houses on the island
Shacks and homes by the sea
Check out that huge satellite dish!
A shelter for a lazy afternoon snooze from the scorching sun
Like mainland North Sulawesi, the church is central to the lives of many in Bunaken
The church’s lofty façades and elaborate spires came as a surprise to us as we didn’t expect to see such a grand edifice on this tiny island
A church service for the kids, with decorations being put up in time for Christmas
Lovely kids filled the front-row pew
Look what we found… A boar! :D
Now we’d wandered into the Muslim quarter of the island
The village mosque topped with the characteristic bulbous domes
A small lane leading to the sea
This goat was busy nibbling on the shoot
Muslim mum and child. Bunaken’s Muslim inhabitants were said to hail from the Maluku Islands, the famed Spice Islands situated to the east of Sulawesi.
A bamboo stick was used to support the antenna! Nice lil’ trick…
The church easily dwarfed the homes around it
A village monument
Village men playing the traditional Minahasan musical instrument
The way this thing worked was kinda similar to a flute
Sunset in Bunaken… Alas, the sun decided to hide its face behind those damn clouds! Bummer…
Compilation of MANADO & NORTH SULAWESI TRIP 2009
- PART I : The forgotten frontiers: Tales from Manado and North Sulawesi
- PART II : Great churches of Manado
- PART III: In the shadows of volcanoes: Manado Bay and its harbour
- PART IV : Off to Bunaken
c a t e g o r y | passport to nowhere
f l u f f e r p u f f | beaches . churches & cathedrals . indonesia . mosques & minarets . religions & spirituality . sulawesi . travel
26 sOleiLians
