Pancuran Tujuh (, both meaning "Seven Springs") is a

hot spring A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a Spring (hydrology), spring produced by the emergence of Geothermal activity, geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow ...

located on the slopes of

Mount Slamet Mount Slamet (, "Salvation Mountain" or "Mountain of Health") is an active stratovolcano that summits in the Pemalang Regency of Central Java, Indonesia. It has a cluster of around three dozen cinder cones on the lower southeast and northeast f ...

in Baturraden District,

Banyumas Banyumas (, formerly spelled "Banjoemas") Regency is an inland regency () in the southwestern part of Central Java province in Indonesia. Its capital is the town of Purwokerto, but that town no longer has a central administration and is split o ...

Central Java Central Java (, ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia, located in the middle of the island of Java. Its administrative capital is Semarang. It is bordered by West Java in the west, the Indian Ocean and the Special Region of Yogya ...

. Discovered, according to local legend, by a Muslim missionary known as Mbah Atas Angin, the hot spring and its sulfuric waters are considered to have healing properties.

Location

Pancuran Tujuh is located in Kemutung Lor Village, Baturraden District,

, Central Java, amidst a pine forest on the slopes of

. It is situated some to the west of the Baturraden Tourist Resort, and about north of the city of

Purwokerto Purwokerto () is a large but non-autonomous town on the island of Java, Indonesia. It is the coordinating centre of local government (''Bakorwil 3'') and the largest city in southwestern Central Java (known as the ''Barlingmascakeb'' regio ...

. The hot spring is accessible by paved road, though, , it is in poor condition, and as such it is more common for visitors to take motorcycles than cars. Pancuran Tujuh can also be accessed by a walk through the Baturraden resort. From the parking area, visitors must descend about 200 steps (a distance of ) to reach the springs.

History

According to local legend, a man named Syekh Maulana Maghribi (known locally as Mbah Atas Angin randfather from the Windsas he had come a great distance) discovered the springs. Sailing to

Gresik Gresik Regency ( older spelling: Grissee, ) is a regency within East Java Province of Indonesia. As well as a large part of the northern and western suburbs of the city of Surabaya, it includes the offshore Bawean Island, some 125 km to the ...

Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...

to spread Islam, he and a follower spotted a strange light. They followed it to

Pemalang Pemalang Regency is a regency () on the north coast of Central Java province in Indonesia. Its capital is the town of Pemalang. The regency is bordered by the Java Sea to the north, by Pekalongan Regency to the east, by Purbalingga Regency to t ...

, then made their way overland. However, Maghribi fell ill with a strange skin condition, and received a vision that he had to climb the southern mountains to treat it. There he found seven springs, which he named Pancuran Pitu, and bathed in the waters, treating himself. The Pancuran Tujuh area is, , managed by the state-owned Perhutani company.

Description

Pancuran Tujuh, as suggested by the name, consists of seven natural springs which release water at a temperature of . The waters drop about from the outlets. A 2003 study found the spring to have a consistent flow, averaging a day. The waters contain

sulfur Sulfur ( American spelling and the preferred IUPAC name) or sulphur ( Commonwealth spelling) is a chemical element; it has symbol S and atomic number 16. It is abundant, multivalent and nonmetallic. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms ...

and other minerals, with the sulfur content measuring 230.8 parts per million. As such, the waters are considered to have healing properties by local residents, and the springs are used to treat skin conditions and

rheumatism Rheumatism or rheumatic disorders are conditions causing chronic, often intermittent pain affecting the joints or connective tissue. Rheumatism does not designate any specific disorder, but covers at least 200 different conditions, including a ...

. The sulfuric waters of Pancuran Tujuh pour down the slope, and over the centuries have left a mineral deposit. Waters from Pancuran Tujuh also pool in nearby caves. These include Sarabadak, where Mbah Atas Angin and his followers are held to have lived, as well as Kembar, Selirang, and Sri Warna. Sarabadak serves as a ''petilasan'' (monument) to Mbah Atas Angin, with its entrance located next to the springs. The path to Pancuran Tujuh overlooks nearby Purwokerto, with the cities of

Purbalingga Purbalingga ( Javanese: ꦥꦸꦂꦧꦭꦶꦁꦒ) is a town and district in Central Java Province of Indonesia and the seat of Purbalingga Regency. Villages The district includes 11 urban villages (''kelurahan'') and 2 rural villages (''desa' ...

and

Cilacap Cilacap Regency (, also spelt: Chilachap, old spelling: Tjilatjap, Sundanese language, Sundanese: ) is a Regencies of Indonesia, regency () in the southwestern part of Central Java province in Indonesia. Its capital is the town of Cilacap, which ...

visible on clear days.

References

Works cited

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External links

* {{Coord, 7, 18, 35.89, S, 109, 13, 4.8, E, dim:100, display=title Hot springs of Indonesia Tourist attractions in Central Java Banyumas Regency