The Mystery of the Twin Banyans

Saturday night, the south alun-alun of Yogyakarta Palace was so damp and muddy after the rain. Between the crowds, a young woman was walking slowly with her eyes shut by a bandana; her friends were walking besides her, giggling. She was trying to walk pass between the twin banyans at the center of alun-alun. Unfortunately, she failed. She cannot keep her feet straight. Just right before reaching the banyans, she veer right and keep walking to one of the goal posts at the western side of the alun-alun. Her friends burst to laughter.

It was an ordinary sight you can find at the south alun-alun of Yogyakarta. Many people were trying to pass between the twins banyans with closed eyes but most of them usually ended on the west or east side of the banyans. Dina (20), the young woman, still cannot believe that she was walking to the right side of the banyans. Her feeling tells her that she was walking straight. “I was walking straight! I am sure that I was walking straight, but why I’m ended in at this silly goal post?” she stated with bewildering eyes and her friends still burst in laughter.

The twin banyans have been a great mystery for the Jogjanese for hundreds of years. They believe the superstition that the twin banyans can fulfill the wish of anyone who is able to walk pass between them with their eyes closed. But still, for hundreds of years, only a few people were able to beat the banyans’ challenge.
The crowd was filled by many people from various place and age. Some of them came there to take the challenge of beating the banyans and some of them came there just to feel the breeze and taste wedang ronde, a hot traditional Javanese beverage. There are so many wedang ronde sellers at the alun-alun. In fact, the alun-alun is circled by wedang ronde sellers. They are not only selling wedang ronde but also roasted corn and some other hot beverages such as tea, ginger tea, and coffee.

Gimin (34), one of the wedang ronde seller said that the place is always crowded by youngsters every Saturday night and most of them tried to take banyans challenge. “I have tried to walk pass through those trees before and I succeeded once. And, yes, my wish was coming true. I thank the banyans. But actually the best time to take the challenge is at midnight and what you should do is not just walking through the trees with your eyes closed but also walking from one to another hole at the fence which circling each of the banyans. I’ve done it before and the banyans really fulfilled my wish.”

That is the story of the banyans but I still have one question which will always be a mystery for me; what kind of wish which will be fulfilled by the banyans? I have taken the challenge, I do all the rules, and I succeeded. But my wish did not coming true. Did the banyans hate me, or my wish is too great for them to accomplish? Only the banyans know. However, it was a good challenge and if the banyans cannot actually fulfill your wish, the cool breeze, the ginger tea or the roasted corn is worth trying.