Hindu Temples

According to the holy man in Karang Kubu village, Jerd Manku, the Hindus in Lombok came from Bali some 300 years ago. Today they make up about 6 % of the total population. The position as the village holy man usually goes in heritage, or democratically if there are several candidates. We went to see the Karang Kubu village temple. It is used both by Hindus and Muslims in the local community. Many Muslims in Lombok maintain some Hindu religious traditions even though they are not Hindus.

According to the holy man there are no inter-religious conflicts between Hindus and Muslims, but there are some problems with Hindus being down-prioritised by the government. They also have problems entering work life because Muslim job applicants with less qualification get advantages due to religion. Inter-religious marriages are common but only if the woman converts to the husband’s religion.

We also visited Surandi temple, built in 1720 over several ground water springs. These springs are considered holy and are an important part of the Hindu belief of purifications of the soul and body. When the body and soul are cleansed, they believe in a closer connection to Brahma, the Hindu God. In Surandi temple we could observe western influences reaching far into religion. The holy man was wearing a Hard Rock Café T-shirt, a Swiss army watch, a fake cartridge belt, and a cellular phone with pictures of an Indian holy man.

Another Hindu temple, Narmada, is also built on a spring water source. It was raised in 1727 by King Anak Agung Gede Ngurah Karang Asem. It is believed that the temple gives eternal youth to those who pray there. When good or bad things happen to a family, a member of the family goes to the temple for several days, either thanking or praying to the God.

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