REGIONAL NEWS

The annual Anni Tiruvila worship ceremony at Shri Singgama Kali Kuil, Tembung, was held solemnly and in a strong spirit of togetherness. The worship was attended by community leaders, Hindu organizations, and Hindu devotees from various regions across North Sumatra on Monday.

The ceremony was also attended by a representative of the Hindu Community Guidance Office (Pembimas Hindu) of the Regional Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs of North Sumatra Province, Dr. Matha Riswan, M.Psi., alongside by the Secretary of the North Sumatra chapter of Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia (PHDI), the Chief of PHDI Deli Serdang Regency Yan Ras, the Chief of PHDI Tanjungbalai City, as well as Pura administrators and local religious leaders.

In his remarks, Matha Riswan conveyed a message from the Head of the Hindu Community Guidance Office of the Regional Ministry of Religious Affairs in North Sumatra, Eli Rosa Tarigan, S.E., M.Sos., expressing high appreciation for the administrators and devotees of Shri Singgama Kali Kuil Tembung. He praised the community’s consistency in preserving, maintaining, and developing religious traditions as a pillar of strengthening Hindu culture in North Sumatra.

“Message from the Head of Pembimas: let us continue to uphold unity and the spirit of mutual cooperation. Let houses of worship serve as productive centers for community development, religious education, and spaces to strengthen the character of our younger Hindu generation,” Matha Riswan said while delivering the message.

Matha Riswan further emphasized the urgency of one of the priority programs of the Directorate General of Hindu Community Guidance under the Ministry of Religious Affairs—covering the data collection and registration of houses of worship. Accurate and nationally integrated data, he noted, is crucial to supporting the effectiveness of future government services and religious development programs.

He highlighted the success of Shri Singgama Kali Kuil Tembung, which has been officially registered in the system of the Directorate General of Hindu Community Guidance. This achievement is expected to motivate administrators of other Hindu houses of worship, especially in Deli Serdang Regency, to complete their registration and legal documentation as a form of support for strengthening Hindu religious life.

Echoing this view, the Chair of PHDI Deli Serdang Regency, Yan Ras, welcomed the attention given by the Ministry’s Hindu Community Guidance office. He emphasized that synergy between the government, community organizations, and house-of-worship administrators is key to strengthening the presence of Hindus within Indonesia’s diverse society.

“The worship such as Anni Tiruvila are not merely worship ceremonies; they are strategic moments to strengthen brotherhood, preserve harmony, and safeguard the traditions of our ancestors,” explain Yan Ras.

The solemn prayer ceremony reflected the strong commitment of Hindus in North Sumatra to continue fostering a religious life that is harmonious, moderate, and resilient in the face of future challenges.

Editor : I Made Juni Saputra

Photographer : I Gusti Ngurah Sathya Dharma

Contributed and translated by Muhammad Mahmud Alhushori