Sikidang Crater is an active volcanic crater located on the Dieng Plateau, Banjarnegara, Central Java. The name “Sikidang” comes from the Javanese word “kidang” (deer), due to the crater’s behavior of shifting locations like a jumping deer.
Once upon a time, there was a prince with a deer’s head named Kidang Garungan who fell in love with a beautiful princess from Dieng named Princess Shinta Dewi. Fearing his appearance, the princess gave him an impossible task: to dig a massive well in a single night.
As the prince was about to finish, the princess and villagers buried him alive. The place where he was trapped is believed to be the origin of Sikidang Crater.
The legend of Sikidang Crater is part of Dieng’s rich oral tradition. The crater is also used as a site for traditional ceremonies such as the Ruwatan of Dreadlocked Children (Anak Gimbal).