Childhood Story, Situ Bagendit - Just Menong

In mid-2022, Zauji and I were walking around Garut City. Garut became one of the cities that we often visit, especially in the year 2022. One of the tourist destinations in Garut is Situ Bagendit, which is in the process of beautifying itself after revitalization. The Story of Situ Bagendit Be one of the stories of sleep-sending as a child. What's it like, his new face?

New Situ Bagendit

In the Sundanese language, ‘that’ means lake. Situ Bagendit has for a long time become an icon of the tourism city of Dodol, aka Garut, one of the districts in West Java. Reported from the Ministry of Public Works, Situ Bagendit is actually a natural lake that becomes a protected area that serves to maintain environmental sustainability around the watershed.

Situ Bagendit is located in Banyuresmi District, Garut Regency. Access the road to Situ Bagendit, which is easily accessible from the direction of Garut city. Friends Menong can go through the Kadungora Line—Leles—Gobing and then turn to the road KH. Anwar Musaddad entered the Hasan Arif Road as the main door and arrived at Gate 3, Nusa Kalapa Post.

The path of KH. Hasan Arif, Banyuresmi, is easy to pass with a motor or car. The other two main roads are in the areas of Sukaratu and Serut, which are located in residential areas.

New Situ Bagendit was only incensed in August 2023, in the era of Ridwan Kamil's government as governor of West Java. When we visited in May 2022, the revitalization process was still ongoing, but there has been a visible change from her increasingly beautiful physique because it is neatly initiated.

No longer see the rundown; access and public facilities are increasing, providing comfort for visitors, including a super spacious parking area that can accommodate many vehicles, including tourist buses.

Lake Situ Bagendit has an area of 125 hectares surrounded by Mount Guntur, Gunung Putri, Mount Papandayan, and Mount Cikuray.

The Situ Bagendit tourist area is located in an area of 2.8 hectares divided into six zones: zone 1 for public tourism, zone 2 for culinary, zone 3 for the school area green, zone 4 for commercial, zone 5 for water sports, and zone 6 for mosques and conservation. It is open daily from 08.00 to 17.00 WIB.

Friends can take selfies in some beautiful spots, including bridges, or enjoy the jogging track (6 km). Not to forget the amphitheater that serves as a place for instructions or performances (when we visited, this amphitheater did not exist).

Related: Travel List In Bandung, Part 1

Not only that, New Situ Bagendit provides many means of playing for children, such as mini trains on the edge of the lake, mini rickshaws, horses, mini scooters, and ordinary bicycles that can be rented at affordable prices.

Like the revitalization of other public facilities in the Kang Emil era, New Situ Bagendit is also decorated with unique sheep-shaped lights that become icons of the city of Garut, which makes me increasingly imagine the beauty of this magnificent design when it is finished later.

New Situ Bagendit (Photo: admission.com)

The Story of Situ Bagendit

Garut saves a lot of unique things. In addition to the other acrobatical attractions that have been recognized as the Heritage of Indonesian Intangible Objects (WBTB) in 2016, Garut also holds a legend that used to be a story in our childhood.

No longer known, Situ Bagendit's story became one of the famous legends of the archipelago that I often heardas a child. This legend is about Nyai Endit, a wealthy woman in a village. The majority of the population lives from farming.

Although rich, Nyai Endit is famous for his gin. Nyai Endit also works as a middleman, an arrangement that often harms farmers in the village. Nyai Endit is also very arrogant because he does not want to help the villagers when they have trouble. Even at times of famine, Nyai Endit still held the Ludder party.

One day, an old beggar came asking for help from Nyai Endit, but with his austerity, Nyai Endit expelled the beggar. The next day, the villagers were horrified by the rumors of the discovery of an A stick that is firmly stuck on the village road. Although many people tried to revoke it, none of the people succeeded.

Annoyed, Nyai Endit came to the village road that had been filled with citizens. There, Nyai Endit also found the beggars of the camping, whom he met the day before. In annoyance, Nyai Endit took an oath of expletives while expelling the beggar. He blamed the beggar for the stick. It's firmly on the road.

Unison, beggars granted Nyai Endit's request and sontak removed the stick. No one could pull out the stick before. Surprisingly, when the stick was removed, the rushing water gusted out and quickly shook the village.

All the colors simultaneously flocked to evacuate and left the village. Only one person who survives is Nyai Endit, who refuses to leave his house full of treasures. Soon, the water was sinking the village and turning it into a lake.

From this story, the name of Situ Bagendit began. Situ means lake, and Bagendit comes from the name Nyai Endit.

Healing in Situ Bagendit

From the story of Nyai Endit, I can see the breadth of it and the beauty of the area around him. The atmosphere is still quiet because it is still in The atmosphere of the COVID-19 pandemic made me and Zauji interested in enjoying the beauty of New Situ Bagendit.

Skating in an inn located not far from the area of Tarogong Kaler, Hotel Bintang Redannte, accompanied by a favorite motorcycle, we enjoyed the beauty of the trip to Situ Bagendit.

Related: Valore Hotel Cimahi Review

We arrived at Gate 3, Post Nusa Kalapa, and paid the official ticket of Rp. 10,000 for adults and Rp. 5,000 for the kids. Situ Bagendit Management is indeed given to the Garut Regency Tourism and Culture Office in collaboration with third parties and village-owned enterprises (Bumdes).

From a distance, Menong's friends can see locals who run traditional fishing gear. Float stalls are also now available to serve visitors to enjoy tilapia and corbus fish.

Even though the clock still shows 8 a.m., the sun is already felt. It was warm on the skin because there was no shade from the tree around. Because of the lack of visitors, we enjoy the beautiful scenery around there. Zauji and I also took the boat around that. It was accompanied by a breeze between the boisterous sound of the boat engine.

Menong friends can also ride a bamboo raft or water bike to feel the tranquility of the water at a price of Rp. 10,000-Rp. 25,000 per person (the price at any time can change, yes!).

The hyacinth and the toy cover the surface of it, making the atmosphere exotic. They replace the mite gems of Nyai's legacy, Endit, which is a hereditary legend. By paying Rp. 40,000 for one traditional boat (because it contains two passengers only, namely me and Zauji), Menong's friends can go around and enjoy the Situ Bagendit area from various angles.

While enjoying this trip, I imagine the story of Situ Bagendit, which is actually a natural phenomenon that was assembled into the way of our elders first to maintain the balance of natural ecosystems.

We also took the time to pray at the Nusa Kalapa Mosque, which is on the edge of Situ Bagendit. Its unique architecture complements the charm. Unfortunately, on the 2nd floor, a lot of dirt was swept by the wind through the window.

Installation of paving blocks makes the road feel more comfortable. The dealer is also neat. In the way the eye can see, there are still not many trees, so the weather is hot enough to the afternoon. There are several references on the internet that the Garut Regency Government has set rules for the establishment of buildings around it to be more organized.

Related: Culinary Payakumbuh Sumbar

Although many places can be tried, including other gates that are quite far away, we ended our event before the sun rose.

Story Situ Bagendit packed into the latest to attract more tours in the area Garut in addition to the Kamojang area or Sukaregang skin center that has been more It used to be worldwide. And of course simple healing like this can be a friend of Menong Do it when one day walk to Garut.