Controversy and Mystery of the Mount Padang Cianjur Site

The debate surrounding the mystery of the Gunung Padang site in Cianjur has yet to find a bright spot. One of the largest megalithic cultural heritages in Southeast Asia has attracted the attention of many groups since it went viral in 2014. Not a few people believe its existence is a legacy of human civilization that disappeared thousands of years ago. This refers to radiocarbon dating that there is an oval stone pile structure consisting of five terraces that is more than 27,000 years old.

If this is true, it means that ancient Indonesian civilization was much more modern than expected. Speculation and theories discussing the mystery of the Gunung Padang site have no doubt emerged in various media. Starting from theories about the remains of the continent of Atlantis, the glory of the Sunda Empire, to the involvement of highly intelligent beings.

The Mysterious Origin of Stones

Every day, the Gunung Padang site in Karyamukti Village, Cianjur, West Java, is always flooded with researchers, general tourists,  students also mystery lovers.

Mount Padang was first discovered one hundred years ago. According to colonial records, this place consists of four terraces composed of rough stone and decorated with andesite stones. Each terrace has a mound of earth covered with rectangular stones. Interestingly, these rock blocks are arranged in a place surrounded by mountains and hills which are far from human reach.

Long before that, ancient Sundanese people already considered the surrounding area as a sacred place. According to local belief, the origins of the Gunung Padang stone stem from King Siliwangi's efforts to build a palace in one night with the help of soldiers from the supernatural world.

Lost Civilizations

The discovery of the Gunung Padang site made scientists aware of the existence of a lost human civilization in the archipelago. This stems from the opinion that the actual temple building is buried deep underground. There is a theory that this site actually has an original shape resembling a pyramid with an underground chamber containing treasures.

Unfortunately, this theory is very difficult to prove. The reason is that the mystery of the Gunung Padang site has never found a bright spot due to the excavation process which has encountered many problems. Plus, there have been no new findings that can support the facts behind the lost human civilization.

One thing that attracts attention is that no remains of human skeletons were found around the Gunung Padang site. This is considered quite strange because the area is believed to be a place of prayer.

Controversial Ancient Sites 

Since the last few years, Gunung Padang has become the ancient site that most often causes experts to disagree. The controversy is over the age which is considered inappropriate and the use of the term pyramid which is not common in Indonesian traditions. 

Apart from that, the archaeological project to uncover the mystery of the Gunung Padang site was stopped due to the government transition. Research and restoration work that has been underway since 2014 has seen its fate hanging in limbo throughout the era of President Joko Widodo's administration. 

Therefore, it is unlikely that the mystery of the Gunung Padang site will be revealed any time soon. Nevertheless, this punden terraced complex is still an interesting tourist destination for history and mystery lovers.