Puja Mandala Worship, A Symbol of Religious Harmony in Bali

Puja Mandala Worship is a symbol of religious harmony in Dewata Island. Bali is already famous as an island with beautiful scenery and unique culture that has become a favorite tourist destination for the world. Moreover, its unique cultural diversity is no less interesting than the region known as the Island of the Gods.

 

Besides being known as the Island of the Gods, Bali also has another nickname, the Island of a Thousand Temples. This is a reflection of the majority of the population who are Hindu, so that in every corner of the region can be found temple buildings as a place of worship.

 

Although the majority are Hindus, Balinese people have a high attitude of tolerance with people of other religions. This interfaith harmony in Bali can also be seen clearly in Puja Mandala.

 

Puja Mandala is a worship center with five different houses of worship within one complex area

Credit: baliconventioncenter.com

 

Puja Mandala is a worship center with five different houses of worship within one complex area. It is located in Nusa Dua, Bali, about 23 km from the center of Denpasar City, or about 12 km from I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport.

 

Puja Mandala comes from the word “Puja” which means worship and “Mandala” is the area. So Puja Mandala can be interpreted as an area of worship.

 

The five houses of worship mentioned, among others, are the Ibn Batutah Great Mosque, Maria Bunda Segala Bangsa Parish Catholic Church, Vihara Buddha Guna, Bukit Doa Protestant Christian Church and Jagat Natha Temple.

 

The Puja Mandala began construction in 1994 and was inaugurated on December 22, 1997. At the time this Puja Mandala was built and inaugurated, Confucianism had not yet been legalized by the government so there were only 5 places of worship for each of the 6 religions currently recognized in Indonesia.

 

History of Puja Mandala Development

Credit: kompasiana.com

 

History of Puja Mandala Development

 

In conjunction with the implementation of the development plan of the international tourism area in Nusa Dua by the Bali Tourism Development Corporation (BTDC) which is currently changing to the Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), inviting investors to build hotels and manage and maintain the Nusa Dua tourism area.

 

Local community leaders argue that tourism development also needs to be supported by mental and spiritual development for the community, so this became the rationale for the creation of Puja Mandala.

 

Until finally the project began, the construction of the Puja Mandala complex was built on an area of 2.5 hectares in Kampial Village, which is land owned by ITDC.

 

Funding for the construction of the five houses of worship was raised solely by the respective religious groups. The construction plan was proposed since the 1980s, but the groundbreaking was only carried out in 1994.

 

puja mandala is a spiritual cultural tourist attraction in nusa dua bali

Credit: travelspromo.com

 

The construction took approximately three years before it was inaugurated in 1997 by completing the Ibn Batutah Great Mosque, Maria Bunda Segala Bangsa Parish Church and Bukit Doa Protestant Christian Church. While the Vihara operationally began in 2003 and Jagat Natha Temple in 2004.

 

In fact, Puja Mandala is a place of worship for religious people. However, its location in the tourism area makes this place a spiritual cultural tourist attraction for local people and international tourists to enjoy.

 

In addition to being an alternative to traveling, Puja Mandala is also often used as a location for research. The research is usually carried out from among educational institutions.

 

As a collection of places of worship of five religions, the heterogeneity of activities in the Puja Mandala area is quite diverse. The buildings of houses of worship in Puja Mandala stand firmly side by side without a partition, becoming clear evidence of religious tolerance on the island of Bali.

 

Because they are in the same area, it is not uncommon for there to be religious moments where worship is also held simultaneously.

Changer de langue