Minister Of Culture Fadli Zon Appreciates Hindu-Islamic Harmoni At The Cangkuang Garut Site

Minister of Culture Fadli Zon and Chairman of the Indigenous Community of Pulo Village, Zaki Munawar. (IST)

Minister of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia Fadli Zon emphasized the importance of preserving the wealth of local history and wisdom when visiting the Cangkuang Site in Garut, West Java, Thursday, August 7. This area combines the harmony of Hindu and Islamic culture that has lived side by side for centuries.

Fadli crossed Lake Cangkuang with a traditional raft to Kampung Pulo. He was greeted by the art of Rudat and the tradition of siraman of seven jugs from seven springs, a symbol of fire before entering traditional settlements. This village is inhabited by descendants of Arif Muhammad, a 17th century Islamic spreader whose grave is an important pilgrimage point.

The head of the Kampung Pulo Indigenous Community, Zaki Munawar, explained that traditional rules keep the number of houses fixed by seven units as a form of respect for ancestral heritage. Fadli also tasted burayot, a typical Garut snack that was included in the Takbenda Cultural Heritage.

In Cangkuang Temple, Hindu relic with the statue of Dewa Siwa, Fadli assessed that this site is proof of maintained tolerance. The diversity here is a real example of harmony," he said. He encouraged the increase in the status of the Cangkuang Temple cultural heritage from the district to the national level.

Fadli reviewed the museum that stores Arabic manuscripts, archaeological data, restoration documentation, and the creation of traditional paper made from sad tree skin. He invited the younger generation to study the history of this site, the figure of Arif Muhammad, and traditions such as siraman.

"We have to take care of this site so that it stays alive and becomes a cultural tourist destination," he said. Fadli closed the visit with appreciation to the caretaker and promises to help organize the museum collection.

The Cangkuang site is proof that cultural preservation is not just protecting the past, but planting strong roots for the future based on local wisdom.