A public vihara: Palmerah's Buddhist temple

A public vihara: Palmerah's Buddhist temple

JAKARTA (JP): For old Jakartans the Buddhist temple in
Palmerah is no strange sight, but nobody knows who built it.

No wonder people call it a public temple, said Koh Bun Tek,
65, an employee of the temple.

"Nobody calls the temple a public temple though, but nobody
knows the history of the building. No one knows who really owns
the temple. One thing people are sure of is that this building
has been here for more than a decade," Bun Tek said.

The temple, also known as a vihara, is named Vihara Dharma
Bhakti, a name that sounds familiar to locals as all Buddhist
temples managed by Dharma Bhakti foundation are named after the
foundation.

"The foundation actually has never been officially set up.
Members of the foundation board of founders are all volunteers,"
he told the Jakarta Post

The temple located in the center of Jl. Palmerah Barat, right
behind the new Palmerah marketplace, has been renovated many
times. The biggest renovation was in 1973.

The original building was only small until a businessman
donated funds to renovate it in 1973, Bun Tek said.

Bun Tek refused to identify the businessman or reveal the
amount of money used for the renovation.

The vihara building now measures 150 square meters with a
front yard of about 100 square meters.

The temple has one large main praying room and two small
praying rooms, yolo (the front building), and a room for keeping
candles and so on.

A statue of Buddha and other statues of gods and goddesses
(such as Kwan Im and Kwan Bo) are placed in the main praying
room.

Three big wooden donation boxes are placed in the left wing.

Time has changed. And the surrounding of the temple which was
probably sacred and clean 100 years ago, is now crowded with
vendors.

Like other traditional marketplaces in the capital, the
Palmerah market, where the temple stands, is dirty and smelly and
the road becomes muddy when it rains.

"This condition has apparently made worshipers reluctant to go
to the vihara," Bun Tek said. "It is difficult for anyone to park
their car around the temple, which has only a 100 sq.m. yard," he
said.

"Only four or five people, who have emotional links to the
temple, come to prayer here every day," he added. He said it's
difficult to describe emotional links with words.

People also come to prayer in the beginning of the month and
on a full moon, he said.

Bun Tek said the members of the temple used to play tai chi
(Chinese system of exercise) in the front yard of the temple and
play keroncong music. Keroncong is a very popular local
Portuguese-influenced music.

Bun Tek, a father of four children and grandfather of four,
lives at the temple. His wife and two of their children live in
Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta. He goes home once every three
months.

He cleans the temple and opens it at 6 a.m. and closes it at 9
p.m. every day. He earns Rp 150,000 (US$65) a month at the
temple. "Sometimes I get some Rp 500 to Rp 1,000 from each
visitor," he added.

Bun Tek was a garment vendor 15 years ago. He decided to take
care of the temple after his business went bankrupt.

He said that the job does not offer him much money. "I'd
better become a shopkeeper if I want more money. My salary from
the temple is enough only for food," he added.

Besides Bun Tek, the vihara employs Koh A Nyan, 60, and An
Cen, 40. A Nyan has been working there since last year and An Cen
started working there five months ago.

They also get Rp 150,000 a month each.

The temple usually becomes busy at Chinese New Year. At least
50 pairs of extra large red candles (1.5 meters tall and 25
centimeters in diameter) stand in front of the vihara for eve of
Imlek (Chinese New Year). The New Year is today.

The candles cost between Rp 50,000 to Rp 100,000 each and show
that about 50 families will pray on Imlek eve.

Bun Tek said that the families come from Jakarta, Bogor and
Bandung. "They pray here every year. Maybe they used to live near
the temple," he added.

However, Bun Tek said the Imlek eve prayers in the Palmerah
temple is usually not as festive as those at other temples, such
as at the city's biggest Buddhist temple, Petak Sembilan in
Glodok, West Jakarta.