Mount Kawi, long known to the public through spiritual and mystical narratives, turns out to have once held a shocking natural mystery. In early 1884, specifically on the night between January 3 and 4, a Dutch citizen claimed to have witnessed a highly unusual visual phenomenon while observing the mountain from a distance.
The testimony published in the January 13, 1884 edition of the newspaper De Oostpost describes an experience that was difficult to comprehend. The observer recounted that around midnight, he heard a rumbling sound distinct from regular water flow, followed by the appearance of a grayish mist above the mountain. The situation changed drastically when the mountain appeared to be wrapped in an extremely bright "column of fire".
The eyewitness detailed the presence of around 50 beams of light emanating from a single central point in various directions over a vast reach. The phenomenon lasted for over 30 seconds, a duration he deemed impossible for ordinary lightning flashes. He even likened the sight to a giant fireworks display launching bursts of fire to all corners of the sky.
Although stunned, the observer attempted to remain objective and refused to associate the event with magic. He assumed the phenomenon was related to natural processes, such as gas release, phosphorescence, or atmospheric electrical phenomena unexplained in his era.
More than a century later, this historical record remains a rare document offering a different perspective on Mount Kawi. Regardless of debates surrounding its scientific cause, the writing proves that the area has a history of natural phenomena capable of defying the logic of observers at the time.
