Cempaka Culture and Tourism: 'Perang Topat' celebration of interfaith harmony

"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it), Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse), Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

“… The Shift in Human Nature

You're starting to see integrity change. Awareness recalibrates integrity, and the Human Being who would sit there and take advantage of another Human Being in an old energy would never do it in a new energy. The reason? It will become intuitive, so this is a shift in Human Nature as well, for in the past you have assumed that people take advantage of people first and integrity comes later. That's just ordinary Human nature.

In the past, Human nature expressed within governments worked like this: If you were stronger than the other one, you simply conquered them. If you were strong, it was an invitation to conquer. If you were weak, it was an invitation to be conquered. No one even thought about it. It was the way of things. The bigger you could have your armies, the better they would do when you sent them out to conquer. That's not how you think today. Did you notice?

Any country that thinks this way today will not survive, for humanity has discovered that the world goes far better by putting things together instead of tearing them apart. The new energy puts the weak and strong together in ways that make sense and that have integrity. Take a look at what happened to some of the businesses in this great land (USA). Up to 30 years ago, when you started realizing some of them didn't have integrity, you eliminated them. What happened to the tobacco companies when you realized they were knowingly addicting your children? Today, they still sell their products to less-aware countries, but that will also change.

What did you do a few years ago when you realized that your bankers were actually selling you homes that they knew you couldn't pay for later? They were walking away, smiling greedily, not thinking about the heartbreak that was to follow when a life's dream would be lost. Dear American, you are in a recession. However, this is like when you prune a tree and cut back the branches. When the tree grows back, you've got control and the branches will grow bigger and stronger than they were before, without the greed factor. Then, if you don't like the way it grows back, you'll prune it again! I tell you this because awareness is now in control of big money. It's right before your eyes, what you're doing. But fear often rules. …”

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

'Perang Topat' celebration of interfaith harmony

Panca Nugraha, The Jakarta Post, West Lombok

Hundreds of Hindus and Muslims celebrated the Perang Topat ritual Saturday at the Lingsar temple in Lingsar village, West Lombok.

The people perform the traditional ritual as an expression of their gratitude to God for a bountiful harvest. The ritual also demonstrates the harmonious relationship between Hindus and Muslims in the region.

The site of the ritual itself is a monument of interfaith harmony. The inner sanctum of the temple houses places of worship for both religions. The Hindu Pura Gaduh stands in the same place as the Kemaliq, a sacred structure for the native Sasak people, who converted to Islam.

The Lingsar temple, some nine kilometers northeast of West Nusa Tenggara's capital, Mataram, was constructed in 1759 by Anak Agung Anglurah Karangasem, who was ruler of the eastern Balinese kingdom of Karangasem, which annexed West Lombok after a successful military expedition

The annual Perang Topat is held in the temple's outer courtyard in line with the full moon of the seventh month and in conjunction with the Hindu festival to commemorate the temple's founding.

"Maybe in the whole world it is only in Lingsar that we can find a religious festival being celebrated by followers of two different faiths," the Kemaliq custodian, Suparman Taufik, said.

Prior to the ritual, the Hindus and Muslims prepare their respective offerings. They mostly comprise cakes, fruit and two buffaloes.

"The cow is a sacred animal to the Hindus, while the pig is haram (forbidden under Islamic law), so the buffalo is a good compromise. Actually, it is an ancient tradition that in the Lingsar temple we are not allowed to present any offerings made of beef or pork," he said.

The most important offering in the ritual is thousands of topat, rice boiled in plaited young coconut leaves.

After the presentation of offerings, the first topat was thrown by West Nusa Tenggara Deputy Police Chief Snr. Comr. Lalu Supratman.

The committee members then distributed more than 2,500 topat to the awaiting crowds, who, as is customary, then started throwing the topat at each other.

The ensuing perang (war) was a noisy and joyous affair.

"It is said that if you get hit during the ritual, your luck will get better. This is the only war in which the participants want to get hit," said a visitor, Budi.

After the ritual, the Hindus and Muslims staged a three-night vigil at the temple.