Embracing Ramadan: A Journey Through Indonesia's Grand Mosques

Almost everything is good, each with its own uniqueness.

Bandung (ANTARA) - The sky was not yet fully bright when Surya Firmansyah (50) from Bekasi, West Java, turned the key in his car and began his journey.

In the coming weeks, this routine will become part of the agenda for welcoming the holy month of Ramadan in 2026.

In the seat beside him, his wife was ready with a camera and a small notebook that they always carried.

From behind the windshield, the road stretched out like an endless invitation, leading him from one mosque to another, from one city to the next.

For some, this might just be an ordinary trip. But for Surya and his wife, every kilometer is part of an effort to welcome Ramadan in a different way, namely by continuing their journey to explore the traces of grand mosques in Indonesia.

“Thank God, we have already visited 15 provinces, exploring the grand mosques in Indonesia, and it will continue during this Ramadan,” he said on Wednesday while stopping at the Al Fathu Grand Mosque, Soreang, Bandung.

He wants to get to know the houses of God in various regions more closely, and experience the atmosphere of worship in places that are always filled with worshippers during Tarawih prayers and Itikaf.

It all started with a simple desire: he wanted to have personal documentation of places in this country after retiring early, especially grand mosques which are the center of civilization in many cities.

“Indeed, the intention was that after finishing work, I wanted to travel around Indonesia and it was originally just for personal documentation, one of which was by visiting mosques,” he said.

He never expected that this intention, which originated from a personal space, would then lead him to travel across islands and coincide with a spiritual journey towards Ramadan.