Pluralism, All Day NTB Will Hold Ogoh-ogoh And Taaruf Parades

The ogoh-ogoh exhibition welcomes Nyepi Day Saka New Year 1945 at Puputan Badung Field, Denpasar, Bali, Friday 17 March 2023. (Between-Nyoman Hendra W)

JAKARTA - The Regional Office of the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) held a joint coordination meeting (rakor) against Hindu and Islamic religious parades which took place simultaneously on Sunday, March 10, 2024.

Head of the Regional Office (Kakanwil) of the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) NTB, Zamroni Aziz, said the coordination meeting was to prepare an ogoh-ogoh parade to welcome Nyepi Day and ta'aruf parade ahead of Ramadan 1445 Hijriah.

"That's what we arrange, we have agreed with PHDI and all interfaith, forkompinda, TNI-Polri, ogoh-ogoh we instruct in their respective regencies/cities, of course we have identified those that will carry out the ogoh-ogoh, first the City of Mataram, North Lombok Regency (KLU) and West Lombok," he said after the coordination meeting in Mataram, Friday, March 1, was confiscated by Antara.

In the regulation, the ogoh-ogoh parade starts at 09.00 to 16.00 WITA. Then from 16.00 WITA to the end of the ta'aruf parade.

In addition to regulating the timing of the parade, ogoh-ogoh participants will also be reduced so that they are not as many as in previous years.

"We also agreed to mobilize from other regencies/cities, so as not to enter Mataram City. So that those who witnessed it in each region," said Zamroni Aziz.

"This is what we arrange so that later this ogoh-ogoh and taaruf process will not be found. So the time is different and the same day," he said.

Zamroni admits that no less important is the implementation of Nyepi as well as the first night of fasting.

"All elements of the existing community, religious leaders, religious leaders and all existing parties convey to understand each other, respect and respect each other so that later those who carry out Nyepi will not be disturbed and then those who carry out the first Tarawih prayer will also not be disturbed," he said.

For this reason, his party hopes that these two activities can run together by not disturbing each other between religious communities. Therefore, he appealed to religious leaders, interfaith communities to take care of each other, maintain order, security and coordinate with security forces and local governments.

"I believe we usually do this in NTB," he said.*