Unusual sights appear in Pura and Kemaliq Lingsar, West Lombok regency, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), on Sunday (3/12) afternoon. Muslims and Hindus from a number of areas in West Lombok come to meet temple areas for war.
Once the two camps meet, the action of throwing each other is inevitable. Children too old people dissolve in battle. However, there was no blood, nor tears.
This war actually causes laughter and joy. The war known as the Topat War (ketupat) is a tradition that lasted for generations and is still preserved until now.
Shortly before the procession of war began, some of the masses took place in the courtyard of Pura Gaduh, which became a place of worship of Hindus. Meanwhile, some are on the front page of the Kemaliq building, which is sacred for some Muslims.
Deputy Governor of NTB Muhammad Amin said topat war is a cultural tradition that must be preserved. According to Amin, Topat War is a concrete manifestation of religious harmony in Lombok. Amin rate, the tradition of War Topat also has an attraction for the tourism sector of NTB.
"The war that no one has ever felt is winning and losing. This is a cultural event that we continue to preserve and develop," Amin said shortly before opening the procession of Topat War.
After delivering the opening, Amin immediately gave warning sign of the war began. Without the doubt, Amin with West Lombok Regent Fauzan Khalid started the procession of war by throwing a mini ketupat.
As soon as the war begins, the two seemingly impatient masses squeeze in the rhombus and throw it at the opponent. There is no anger, both Muslims and Hindus just laugh each other to reply to each other throws.
Adat leaders in Lingsar, Suparman, revealing, Topat War is a hereditary tradition that continues to be kept Lingkar society in maintaining the harmony of religious communities.
He explained, Pura Lingsar Complex is a temple built in 1759 when the time of King Anak Agung Gede Ngurah, the descendant of King Karangasem Bali, who had ruled in some of the islands of Lombok in the 17th century ago.
In this temple, there are two big buildings namely Pura Gaduh as a place of worship of Hindus, and Kemaliq buildings, which sacred some Muslims Sasak and still used for ritual ceremonies adat until now.
The Lingsar Village community, Suparman continued, always held a Topat War ritual on the fifteenth day of the seventh month on the Sasak Lombok calendar, called Purnama sasih kepitu (Purnama seventh month), or the fifteenth day of the sixth month of the Balinese Hindu calendar, called purnama sasi kenem (Full moon sixth).
"On a full moon night, Hindus will perform the Pujawali ceremony, while the Muslims will do the service of Raden Mas Sumilir, an Islamic broadcaster from Demak, Central Java, who broadcast Islam in Lombok in the 15th century," Suparman recounted.
Uniquely, the public will bring the remaining ketupat used to throw each other to be sown in the fields. One of them, the citizens of Narmada, West Lombok, Syaviq Wahyudi, who deliberately brought the result of ketupatnya to he planted in his rice field.
He also claimed to be happy with the Topat War event. According to him, this event proved able to glue the sense of unity among religious people in Lombok
"Good tourist attraction, now added crowded, and good for both people," said Suparman.