M

uslims and Hindus participated in the traditional Topat War ritual held at the Lingsar Temple in West Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), recently to promote interfaith harmony and unity.

During the ritual, participants throw topat, or ketupat, a traditional dish made of rice boiled in plaited coconut leaves, at each other while sharing laughter and excitement.

The agrarian community’s tradition was also held this year to help revive the island’s tourism, following the devastating earthquakes that shook the region in August.

“We have all lived in harmony for a very long time,” West Lombok regent Fauzan Khalid said on the sidelines of the event.

Fauzan said the annual tradition had been celebrated for generations to promote tolerance and brotherhood between Muslims and Hindus.

The ritual is an inextricable part of Lingsar Temple, which is located around 6 kilometers to the southeast of Mataram, the provincial capital.

The temple was built in 1759 during the reign of King Anak Agung Gede Ngurah, an heir to the throne of Karangasem, Bali, who ruled parts of Lombok Island in the 18th century.

The temple’s compound is somewhat unique, as it includes the Gaduh Temple as a Hindu house of worship and the Kemaliq Lingsar, which is considered sacred by some Sasak Muslims who still use the building as a place to host customary rituals.

The Topat War is held on the 15th day of the seventh month according to the Sasak-Lombok calendar, also known as the Purnama Sasih Kepitu (seventh month full moon), or on the 15th day of the sixth month according to the Hindu-Bali calendar, also known as the Purnama Sasi Kenem (sixth month full moon). Sasak humanist and manager of Kemaliq Lingsar, Suparman Taufik, said the Topat War was an expression of gratitude to God for the fortune they received throughout the year, partly thanks to the spring located next to the temple compound.

He said locals believed the spring emerged on a spot where Muslim preacher Raden Mas Sumilir, who came from Dema on Java Island, stuck his staff in the 15th century.

The water from the spring supples the rice fields in Lingsar and parts of Central Lombok, allowing farmers to have three harvests a year instead of two.

For the Hindus, the tradition coincides with the temple’s anniversary. After the Topat War, locals hold a Pujawali ritual at the temple in the evening to worship the gods of Mount Rinjani, Mount Agung and Lingsar.

“Maybe it’s only in Lingsar that we can find big Muslim and Hindu events held at the same time and place,” Suparman said.

Locals believe the leftover topat will make their fields more prosperous when buried in the ground.

“We believe the topat will bring us luck. So usually, farmers will bury it in their fields while traders will take it to their shops,” local Maya Astini said.