Mount Merapi, is a volcano located in the area of Kabupaten Magelang central Java, close to the border between Yogyakarta and Central Java. On the island of Java there are many active volcanos such as mount Papandayan, mount Merapi, mount Semeru and mount Bromo. Merapi as its name refers, means fire mountain which is probably derived from the fact that this mountain has always erupting since immemorial time. The disappearance of 9th century prosperous Hindu kingdom in Central Java thought by archaeologists as the responsibility of this mountain. This fact was proved by some excavations on various places indicating ancient remains of Hindu-Buddhist kingdom of Mataram which was already discovered to have existed since 7th century. Among various ancient Hindu remains found around Yogyakarta in particular and central Java in general all were unearthed around 1 to 2 meters undersoil, not excepted that Borobudur was also covered below part of the stupa until its first clearance. Central Java including Yogyakarta are rich with Hindu remains, fertile land with superfluous water for irrigation which is a character of land in the area covered by ashes of mountain eruption.

Mount Merapi erupted in close time interval of 1997, 2001 and 2006, and 26 October 2010 is the biggest eruption followed by explosion spewing pyroclastic ashes ( Javanese calls "wedus gembel" meaning " ship's wool" ) reaching more then 5 kms down the foot of the mountain sweeping the area of Lamat, Senowo and Krasak rivers. This extremely hot ashes and favors causing big lost of house damages until 3rd November 2010 reportadly have killed 38 people including the prominent figure of mountain keeper Embah Marijan the staff of Sultanate of Yogyakarta, whose post and house is only 5 kms away from the peak of the mountain. Second explosion was happened again on 30 October with much bigger volume and thundering sound, and swept as long as 12 kms away, causing the ashes reaching the city of Yogyakarta and causing 97 people dead in total since first eruption. On 3rd November is the longest eruption around 1 hour without stop emanating hot smoke with dark white and yellowish color. An immediate evacuation of villagers following the sirene reminders both by government and local people volunteers were done quicly since the first eruption. According to some reports those victims were already reminded by government and given the pick up truck and car to leave their village, but refusing on the reason that Embah Marijan did not want to leave their post, which is believed that Embah will not leave if explosion will not happened.