Harmony in Perang Topat, When Two Faiths Celebrate Brotherhood in Lombok

Perang Topat becomes an eternal ritual of fertility and tolerance for Hindus and Muslims on Lombok Island. This harmonious relationship has been woven since the end of the 17th century.

By Idham Khalid

The high-pitched sound of a bell from the hand of a mangku at Lingsar Temple, West Lombok, ushered in the solemnity of prayer ahead of the Perang Topat tradition, Thursday (4/12/2025) morning.

The sound of the small sacred metal vibrated strongly, blending with the scent of incense wafting from every corner of the temple gates.

Not far from the temple courtyard, the beating of Gendang Beleq responded to each other with the loud, rhythmic gamelan.

The rhythm accompanied the steps of Hindus and Muslims who came carrying various food offerings, especially ketupat, or topat, which became a symbol of brotherhood in that peaceful “war.”

Ritual of Two Faiths in One Sacred Space

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The day awaited by the two religious communities finally arrived. The Perang Topat celebration began with a number of rituals in the Lingsar Temple complex, which covers an area of about one hectare.

Since noon, Hindus entered Pura Gaduh to perform prayers, while Sasak Muslims headed to the Kemaliq Lingsar Complex. The two holy places are located in one area, becoming a living portrait of cultural tolerance that is hundreds of years old.

In addition to bringing offerings, Hindus first presented three sacred dances, namely, the Rejang Pemendak Dance, Rejang Renteng, and Rejang Sedana.

The female dancers in traditional Hindu-Balinese clothing moved gracefully following the strains of the gamelan. The gentle movements were a sign that Perang Topat would soon begin.

About 100 meters from Pura Gaduh, the atmosphere was no less crowded. Sasak Muslims appeared busy preparing the begawe event, a tradition of eating together commonly performed in various Sasak traditional ceremonies.

They gathered in the lower area of the temple, bringing various food ingredients in the form of rice, chicken, ducks, to goats to be handed over to traditional leaders.

All these offerings became a symbol of the residents' gratitude for the gift of natural fertility they possessed.
This annual moment is always awaited by the followers of the two faiths (Islam-Hindu) who live harmoniously on the land of Lombok.

“We come here to begawe (feast), every year we come here because it has become a tradition passed down through generations,” said Mahar, a resident of Sukarara Village, Central Lombok.

“We bring various kinds, there are rice, chickens, ducks, goats, this is for us to contribute to the begawe event before the perang topat.”

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Ketupat Flying, Peace Rooting

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Towards evening, at approximately 15.00 Wita, the Pujawali series began. A procession of dulang, in the form of food offerings, was carried on the heads of Hindu and Muslim women.

They walked in line into the Kemaliq Lingsar complex. This building is a holy place for Muslims and Hindus inside Lingsar Temple. It is considered sacred and has been a symbol of religious tolerance for hundreds of years.

The food offerings were equally placed and prayed for in the Kemaliq Lingsar complex. Of course, with the prayer recitations of each respective religion.

This series was accompanied by traditional music such as Gendang Beleq to the Rudat Batek Baris dance, a typical dance depicting Dutch soldiers of the past complete with their rifles.

After Pujawali, both Hindus and Muslims began preparing their respective places to take positions for the ketupat throwing war.

The area used as the place for Perang Topat was in front of the entrance to Pura Gaduh for Hindus, and in front of the entrance to the Kemaliq Lingsar Complex for Muslims.

Like a real war, participants appeared prepared. However, there were no sharp weapons, no shouts of anger. The bullets used were not stones or gunpowder, but ketupat which had previously been part of the ritual offerings.

After getting the signal from each traditional mangku, the ketupat were then thrown in all directions, at anyone nearby.

Cheers of laughter exploded, the two groups faced each other throwing ketupat as hard as they could.

Young people and parents were seen attacking each other, running while parrying the ketupat thrown from the opposing camp.

They threw at each other with cheerful faces. No one was injured. What was present was instead joy, intimacy, and an overflowing sense of gratitude.

After the war ritual, the ketupats that became “weapons” were collected and taken to the rice fields or plantations to be scattered. Residents believe the remaining topat can fertilize the land and bring blessings.

Tradition Passed Down Through Generations

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In the courtyard of Pura Gaduh, Mangku Jape said that the tradition of perang topat has been passed down across generations.

“Our great-grandfathers have held this tradition for a long time, we continue to preserve it,” said Jape while pounding betel leaf with a cocoh konang.

Despite being named a war, Perang Topat is far from elements of anger. There is no grudge, no shouts of hostility. What exists is only laughter, cheerful calls, and ketupat flying in the air.

“This is a war that strengthens brotherhood, because we, both Muslims and Hindus, are happy for the natural products we have harvested so far,” said Jape with offerings around him.

Now the Perang Topat tradition has been included in the tourism event calendar, Karisma Event Nusantara (KEN) 2025, of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (Kemenparekraf) RI.

Meanwhile, the Pengerakse Agung of the Sasak Traditional Council (MAS), Lalu Sajim Sastrawan, explained that the harmonious relationship between Balinese Hindus and Sasak Muslims in Lingsar has been established since the end of the 17th century to the beginning of the 18th century.

This harmony is characterized by tolerance, cultural acculturation, and unique joint rituals.

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Meanwhile, the annual Perang Topat tradition is carried out on the 15th day of the seventh month of the Sasak calendar, usually falling in December.

“So initially Lingsar was Kemaliq, belonging to the Sasak nation. Then when Anak Agung was in power, wanting to bring himself closer to the Sasak Tribe, the Pura Lingsar place of worship was made,” he explained.

It was there that the elders from both the Sasak and Balinese Hindu ethnicities agreed to make the area a center of togetherness. They carried out social consolidation, built the region together, and rejected all potential for hostility.

One of the symbols born from that agreement is the “Ngelining Kaoq” ritual, a buffalo procession before the Perang Topat. The buffalo is then slaughtered together, as a symbol of unity.

“The war there is a war against oneself, a war against passion, so it is manifested with perang topat, with cheerful joking,” said Sajim.

According to him, this tradition is not about throwing at each other, but rather feeding each other or giving each other blessings for the existing harvest.

“Actually, it is not throwing at each other, but it is feeding each other or giving each other blessings for the existing harvest, for the results of working together, exchanging harvest results on land, sea products, water and so on,” explained Sajim.

This article has been translated with AI. See original.

Editor: Ismail Zakaria