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The earliest mosque on the Island of the Gods

Stand tall: Bali’s first mosque stands on grounds donated in the 14th century in Gelgel Muslim village in Klungkung, Bali

Trisha Sertori (The Jakarta Post)
Klungkung, Bali
Thu, June 30, 2016

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The earliest mosque on the Island of the Gods

Stand tall: Bali’s first mosque stands on grounds donated in the 14th century in Gelgel Muslim village in Klungkung, Bali.

On the Island of the Gods, among a predominantly Hindu society, a Muslim community has preserved an old religious tradition at a mosque believed to be the oldest in Bali.

As sunset neared, there was a flurry of activity surrounding Bali’s oldest mosque in the village of Gelgel.

Women in head scarves and flowing gowns flit like butterflies, gathering delicacies around the food carts minutes before the breaking of the fast at Nurul Huda mosque, believed to be centuries old.

There was a particular buzz of activity that day as the king from Klungkung regency, Ida Dalem Semara Putra, and regency head Nyoman Suwirta were joining in the breaking of the fast at the mosque, in an act of goodwill with local Muslims.

During the fasting month of Ramadhan, members of the Muslim village Kampung Gelgel come together every 10 days at the mosque, in a local tradition that dates back to the 14th century.

“This [tradition] is special to our Gelgel mosque and is a tradition handed down by our ancestors,” says Rusiah.

Rusiah and other local residents believe that their ancestors were a group of 40 courtiers sent by King
Hayam Wuruk from the Majapahit Kingdom and that they were among East Java’s first Muslim converts.

Led by the only woman in the group, Dewi Fatima, the 40 converts formed an entourage for Gelgel’s king, I Ketut Nglisir, following his visit to Majapahit.

Village head Sahidin claims he is the direct descendant of those 40 courtiers, like many others in the village.

“The Gelgel king was invited to visit Majapahit in East Java. For his return journey, Hayam Wuruk ordered 40 Muslims from East Java to escort the king […] When they arrived here, because of their good behavior toward the king and his kingdom, they were invited to stay,” said Sahidin.

King Nglisir then awarded the new Islamic community several hectares of land just 500 meters to the south of his palace in Gelgel.

In time, the small troupe intermarried with Balinese locals and their children became members of the king’s guard.

“The Muslims were like family to the king and became his soldiers. Right up until the 1990s, descendants of the Javanese Muslims were dokar [horse drawn cart] drivers, which shows their ancestors were once soldiers in the Gelgel kingdom,” Sahidin said of his family’s history.

When the Gelgel Muslim community needed a mosque, they built their very first mosque from a simple wooden structure with a coconut-frond-thatched roof. They name it Nurul Huda mosque.

Yet, gone is the wooden structure and thatched roof, replaced by bricks and mortar and a 17-meter-tall minaret from which calls to prayer are broadcast daily.

Despite the absence of archeological facts around what is believed to be Bali’s earliest mosque, the locals still hold on to stories and traditions that are handed down from generation to generation.

It is believed that the current mosque stands on the same ground as the original building.

“The only evidence we have […] is a podium. We have no writing; no other evidence; so all our mosque and people’s history is word of mouth,” said Sahidin, adding that the community’s history has also been acknowledged by the royal family of Klungkung.

For Sahidin and other residents, nothing is more important than preserving religious norms, values and traditions that have existed for centuries.

— Photo by J.B.Djwan

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