Kasada is the most important ceremony of the Tengger Hindu community — an annual offering thrown into Bromo's active crater at midnight. Villagers from across the Tengger highlands descend to the caldera, making their way through the sea of sand and up the crater stairs by torchlight. Offerings include fruit, vegetables, rice, flowers, and livestock. Local people stationed below the crater catch the offerings thrown down — catching something from the volcano is considered particularly auspicious.
The festival draws both Tengger pilgrims and Indonesian and foreign visitors. The midnight timing and the active volcano backdrop make it one of the more dramatic religious events in Indonesia. The date changes year to year; check locally or with local tour operators for the current year's date. Visitors are welcome to observe from the crater rim and the surrounding slopes; the ceremony itself belongs to the Tengger community.