Cooling Off, 57 Monks from Four Countries Visit Mosque in Surabaya on Foot Journey to Borobudur

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SURABAYA — A total of 57 monks from four countries arrived in Surabaya during the Indonesia Walk for Peace (IWFP) spiritual journey to Borobudur Temple to voice calls for peace and the spirit of unity amid the nation’s diversity.

Local event organisers from the Wihara Buddhayana Dharmawira Center in Surabaya City, Romo James Pala Joewono, who accompanied the monks, revealed that the monks would stay in Surabaya for two days before continuing their journey to the peak of Vesak Day celebrations at Borobudur Temple.

“We are escorting the monks and stopping at the National Mosque Al-Akbar Surabaya before proceeding to today’s halting point at the Wihara Buddhayana Dharmawira Center,” said Romo James to journalists in Surabaya, East Java, on Thursday (14/5/2026).

He explained that the group had previously visited the Regional Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kanwil Kemenag) on Jalan Raya Juanda before continuing their walk to the Surabaya area.

During the journey from Sidoarjo, Romo James said that four monks experienced fatigue and had to continue by vehicle, while the other 53 arrived safely at the National Mosque Al-Akbar Surabaya.

He stated that participants in the Indonesia Walk for Peace came from Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, and Indonesia. The largest number of monks, more than 40, were from Thailand.

He added that the spiritual journey began in Bali on 7 May 2026 before the group crossed to Banyuwangi and continued through at least ten districts and cities in East Java Province.