Pecalang Patrol in Pitch Darkness, Tarawih Prayers Conclude Before 9 PM

Stars now serve to illuminate the pitch-black streets on the Island of the Gods. There are no lights, creating a serene, silent, and dark atmosphere during Nyepi at night. Pecalang from Desa Adat Tuban in Badung are once again patrolling at night. Equipped with torches in hand and guided by the stars, there is no sound, only the scraping of footwear on the asphalt. This year’s Nyepi celebrations in Bali coincide once more with the month of Ramadan. This is the third year that Muslims in Bali are performing Tarawih prayers in the darkness. However, this is not an issue for Muslims in Desa Adat Tuban. They respect the Hindu observance of Catur Brata Penyepian in Bali by performing Tarawih prayers at their respective homes, in line with appeals from the government and the Bali Interfaith Harmony Forum (FKUB). For the administrators of Masjid Agung Asasuttaqwa, this atmosphere is already familiar because the residents of Desa Adat Tuban are known for their heterogeneous population. Mutual respect is something they have instilled since long ago. “This is the third year coinciding with Nyepi Day, yet the congregation remains just the six administrators, and we have closed since dawn this morning, reopening only tomorrow morning. So Tarawih is only for the mosque administrators,” said the Chairman of the Takmir of Masjid Agung Asasuttaqwa, Haji Sidik, when met at the location on Thursday (19/3/2026). Sidik explained that today’s Tarawih prayer was held earlier than previous days. After the Isha prayer, it was immediately followed by Tarawih without any short sermon. “After Isha, we directly did Tarawih and finished at 8:15 PM WITA; it was quick because usually Tarawih prayers include a 15-minute short sermon before starting,” said the man who is also a pecalang of Desa Adat Tuban. Sidik conveyed that Masjid Agung Asasuttaqwa followed the government’s decision before the Isbat session concluded. Therefore, the administrators still performed Tarawih prayers earlier before the Isbat session decision was finalised. Separately, the Bendesa Adat Tuban, I Wayan Mendra, stated that they had also provided dispensations to Muslims performing worship in the mosque or at home, allowing them to light lamps up to a maximum of 10 watts during the worship. “The above dispensation is only for one room in one house, without noise and without leaving the house,” said Mendra.