Thousands of Mosques to Stay Open 24 Hours During Mudik

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — Indonesian Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar said mosques located along the Mudik routes will be opened 24 hours a day to support the smooth flow of Mudik travel, Nyepi, and Eid al-Fitr, and the public is urged to make use of them.

“Nationally, a total of 6,859 Mudik-friendly Mosque posts are prepared along various Mudik routes,” the minister said in Jakarta on Tuesday (3 February 2026).

Thousands of mosques will be provided with security for worship areas and parking, toilet cleanliness, and availability of ablution water, power charging facilities for devices, comfortable prayer spaces, rest areas, provision of drinking water and snacks, and information centres for travellers.

Nasaruddin said the Lebaran Mudik tradition each year must proceed safely, pleasantly, and smoothly. To that end, he emphasised, the Ministry of Religious Affairs must participate, as well as public service and as a charitable endeavour.

To strengthen the mosque’s role as a public service hub, the Ministry of Religious Affairs also launched the Indonesia Mosque Expedition Programme (EMI) 2026. This programme aims to present mosques as resting homes for the community while showing humane and inclusive mosque service practices during the Mudik and balik (return) flows.

The EMI programme will be carried out through coverage of journeys along the Mudik route with Radio Elshinta, with a kick-off on H-8 of Eid al-Fitr and implementation from H-7 to H+7 of Eid al-Fitr, i.e., 13-29 March 2026.

Mosques involved are classified into several categories, including Main Transit Mosque, City Buffer Mosque, Provincial/Regency City Mosque, Iconic Historic Mosque, and High-Risk Area Mosques at ports, borders, and high-traffic routes.