Pull over and pray on the hill of love

Helloindonesia.id – Passing Jalan Raya Tomohon towards Kawangkoan, you can faintly see a small cross attached to the hill from a distance. As soon as you enter the Kawangkoan area, in Kanonang Village to be precise, you can feel the cool mountain air, and from that place, the cross looks bigger than you think. People call it Bukit Kasih, a religious tourist spot in Minahasa, North Sulawesi.

“Bukit Kasih was founded from the desire of several people who wanted to build a quiet place of prayer on the hill. It was only in 2000, that Bukit Kasih was seriously built, which is not only a place of worship for Christians, but also a symbol of peace in Minahasa,” said Jeli, one of the staff at Bukit Kasih’s information department.

Entering the Bukit Kasih Tourism Complex, visitors will first encounter a pentagonal-shaped monument which has a height of about 22 meters. On the five sides of the bottom there are ornaments that describe the five religions that exist in Indonesia. While at the top there is a globe and a dove which symbolizes peace in differences.

Through the uphill path, visitors will find statues of Toar and Lummi’muut, which are believed to be the first people or ancestors of the Minahasa land. “The Minahasa community believes that Bukit Kasih was the place where their ancestors lived,” said Jeli.

The uphill path that is traversed to reach the top of Bukit Kasih is a way of the cross. There are 14 points along the way, at each point there is a figure depicting the suffering of Jesus when he wanted to be crucified.

When approaching the top of Bukit Kasih, the smell of sulfur is getting thicker, considering that the top of the hill is close to the source of the sulfur vapor which is still active. Arriving at the top of the hill, visitors will see five places of worship standing side by side. The five places of worship are symbols of peace for the Minahasa who live in diversity. Ari, a visitor from outside Minahasa, said, “Bukit Kasih is beautiful and beautiful, symbolizing the harmonization of five different religions. The perfect place to cool off.”

source : indonesiakaya