Marhaban Ramadan Kareem! (Welcome the Holy Month of Ramadan)

As the sun sets today, Moslems in this part of the world is entering the holy month of Ramadan. Beginning tomorrow morning, we are going to observe daily fasting from dawn to dusk for the whole month. So, let me wish my fellow Moslems around the world, happy Ramadan. May the God's blessing be upon us all.

Waiting for Mid-day Prayer at Bandung Grand Mosque

Moslems are waiting for the zhuhur (mid-day prayer) to start at Masjid Agung Bandung (Bandung Grand Mosque).

After the latest renovation, which was completed on January 13, 2006, this is what the interior of the main hall of the mosque looks like. It is more spacious and looks brighter with sunlight coming from the windows around the base of the dome. The mihrab has also been remodeled. Now it has an arch that is typical of a mosque with golden Koranic verses inscriptions on it. Previously the mihrab did not have an Arabic-influenced arch like this one.

Sacrificial Animals

Tomorrow moslems in Indonesia as are those in other parts of the world are going to celebrate Eid ul Adha - a festival to commemorate the willingness of the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ismael as an act of obedience to God. On this day muslims who can afford it are expected to sacrifice their best domestic animals (usually sheep, but also camels, cows and goats) as a symbol of Ibrahim's sacrifice. The meat of the sacrificed animals are to be distributed to the poor and needy.

Unlike in the Middle East where Eid ul Adha is the larger and more festive holiday than that of Eid ul Fitr (the other major moslem holiday), in southeast Asia Eid ul Adha is not as festively celebrated as Eid ul Fitr. Therefore, Eid ul Adha generally feels like the smaller holiday for us.

Pictured above are the seasonal street vendors selling sacrificial sheep and goats. They usually come from the villages and begin selling the animals a week before the D day, and make use any empty lot of land they can find and even the road side to keep the animals.

Falun Gong (Dafa)

Members (practioners) of Falun Gong or Falun Dafa practicing meditation at Gasibu Park in front of Monumen Perjuangan Rakyat Jawa Barat on Sunday morning.

Happy Eid Mubarak - Selamat Hari Raya Idul Fitri 1430 H

Today is Eid ul Fitr. I went to the field near where we live to perform Eid prayer. (Unlike the daily prayers that can be performed at home or in the mosque, the Eid prayer and sermon are preferably performed in a field.)



At home we ate ketupat kari. Ketupat is steamed rice cake wrapped in young coconut leaves (see left picture below). We cut it open, slice it, and usually eat it with kari ayam (chicken curry) and sambal goreng ati (liver in dried chily souce).





It is also the traditon here that people decorate their homes with fragrant flowers like bunga sedap malam (polianthes tuberosa) - the white flowers on long stems in the picture - to welcome their guests. I forgot to buy it until late this morning, so when I got to the nearby florist, we didn't have much choice.

Vihara Vipassana Graha

The Buddhist vihara and meditation center Vihara Vipassana Graha is located on Jalan Kolonel Masturi 69, Lembang, about 10 kilometers north of Bandung. The construction of this two-hectare hill top compound began on 23 February, 1992 and was dedicated on 21 October 1995.

Vihara Vipassana Graha is open not only for Buddhists, but also for the general public who want to learn about Buddhism and meditation.