TIMES JAZIRAH, BALI – Cultural blending between religious communities is always fascinating to explore—especially when it happens in a place where one faith is deeply rooted. When two beliefs stand on the same ground, harmony often grows in ways we don’t expect. This is what Pura Langgar shows.

In Bali, one of the clearest examples of this is found in Desa Adat Bunutin, Bangli. Here stands Pura Langgar, also known as Pura Penataran Agung Dalem Jawa Blambangan—a temple that has long symbolized the coexistence of Hindu and Muslim traditions.

True to its name, Pura Langgar includes a small langgar—a prayer house for Muslims—inside the temple complex. It’s a quiet reminder that the space was once shared not only in spirit, but also in practice.

The Beginning

In a journal entitled Pura Langgar as a Platform for Implementing Religious Tolerance in Bunutin Traditional Village, Bangli Regency (A Hindu Religious Education Perspective) which was published in 2022 Widiastuti notes that the story of Pura Langgar began with a conflict between two kingdoms in the mid-16th century.

The ablution area at the front of the temple, built to help Muslim visitors perform wudu before praying. (Photo: Heliavita Jasmine/TIMES Indonesia)

The two were Dalem Sri Juru of Blambangan in East Java, and Dalem Waturenggong of the Gelgel Kingdom in Bali. The tension started when the Blambangan king refused Waturenggong’s proposal to marry his daughter, Ayu Mas.

To mend the situation, the king’s two sons—Pangeran Mas Sepuh and Pangeran Wilis—traveled to Gelgel to pay their respects and apologize.

But on their journey home, they were ambushed by Mengwi soldiers. Pangeran Mas Sepuh was killed, while Pangeran Wilis survived and sought refuge in Gelgel. He was eventually granted a place to live in Desa Bunutin.

The Descendants

Years later, during his rule in Bunutin, I Dewa Mas Wilis passed away, leaving two wives and five sons. From his Mengwi-born wife, he had two sons: Ida I Dewa Mas Blambangan and Ida I Dewa Mas Bunutin. After their father’s death, Ida I Dewa Mas Blambangan—the eldest—took over leadership.

Not long after ascending the throne, he fell gravely ill. His family held a ritual seeking guidance and healing. During the ceremony, one of the participants entered a trance and delivered a message: they were to build a structure resembling a langgar within the royal shrine.

After the langgar was built, Ida I Dewa Mas Blambangan slowly recovered. That structure became the reason why the royal shrine of Agung Bunutin later came to be known as Pura Langgar, or Pura Dalem Jawa.

Today, the temple still keeps an ablution area at its entrance for Muslim visitors—though it’s rarely used now, as fewer Muslims visit the site.

A Tradition Carried Through Generations

According to I Dewa Ketut Raka, the temple’s custodian, one tradition that has remained unchanged is the prohibition of pork offerings inside the temple.
“The offerings here always use chicken or duck, never pork. I’m not exactly sure why, but it’s a rule that’s been passed down for generations,” he explained.

There is also a unique ritual known as Titi Mamah, performed every Tilem ing Kawulu. The ceremony is reminiscent of the Islamic practice of qurban and is meant to seek safety and ward off misfortune. It involves a red male calf, which is bathed, paraded around the temple three times, and then sacrificed.

Its skin, head, and legs are used for rituals and later released into the temple lake, while the meat is distributed to residents. Many believe the ritualheld in Pura Langgar reflects a blend of Hindu beliefs and older Javanese customs. (*)