Balinese hold prayer for bomb victims<\/p>\n
I Wayan Juniartha, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali<\/p>\n
About 2,000 Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Buddhists attended
\nan interfaith service here on Monday to pray for the victims of the
\nBali bombings.<\/p>\n
The service was marked by a speech from Bali Governor Dewa
\nMade Beratha, who urged the Balinese to begin rebuilding the
\nshattered island.<\/p>\n
"The tragedy has inflicted sorrow and pain upon all of us. But
\nwe must not let ourselves be carried away by these emotions.<\/p>\n
"More importantly, we must arise and awake from this prolonged
\ngrief. We shall make this tragedy a starting point for reaching a
\nbetter future," he said during the gathering at Puputan Margarana
\nSquare.<\/p>\n
The governor then assured the participants that the tourist
\nindustry, the backbone of the island's economy, would bounce back
\nwithin months.<\/p>\n
The ceremony was held in conjunction with the Purnama Kapat
\nritual, held during the full moon of the fourth month in the
\nBalinese calendar, one of the most sacred days for Balinese
\nHindus.<\/p>\n
The service, conducted in front of the Bajra Sandhi monument,
\nwas officiated over by high priest Ida Pedanda Gde Putra Bajing
\nof Sumerta village.<\/p>\n
It was also attended by Minister of Religious Affairs Said
\nAgil Al-Munawar.<\/p>\n
The participants, including several foreign consuls, performed
\na prayer after lighting candles and placing them in a mound of
\nsand in the center of the square.<\/p>\n
Hindus in Greater Jakarta conducted a similar service on
\nMonday to pray for the victims of the Bali bombings.<\/p>\n
Monday's ceremony followed a similar interfaith service on
\nSunday evening at Kuta beach in Bali.<\/p>\n
The service on Sunday, called Mahashanti Puja (Prayer for
\nPeace), was participated in by hundreds of Hindus, Muslims,
\nChristians and Buddhists, who prayed for the souls of the nearly
\n200 victims of the Bali attack.<\/p>\n
"We ask God to embrace these souls with his infinite
\ncompassion and love, so their journey to the next realm will not
\nbe hampered by the violent nature of their death," the event's
\norganizer, Agus Indra Udayana of Gandhi Puri Ashram, said.<\/p>\n
The Mahashanti Puja was held just some 500 meters from the
\nsite of the bombings.<\/p>\n
After the service, participants took part in a Pada Yatra, or
\npeace walk, during which they walked some 400 meters along the
\nbeach carrying a 60-meter-long white cloth stretched above their
\nheads.<\/p>\n
After the Pada Yatra, members of the different religious
\ngroups prayed for the bombing victims.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/balinese-hold-prayer-for-bomb-victims-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}