A man reads the koran as Indonesian Muslims wait for the first day of Ramadan prayers at Al-azhar Mosque in Jakarta on June 17, 2015, to mark the Muslim holy fasting month.
Muslims across Bali ushered in the beginning of the month of Ramadan, which started on Thursday.
Before undergoing a month of puasa where they’re obliged to fast from dawn to dusk, Muslims on the island prepped for things on Wednesday evening. Hundreds of Muslims in the village of Pejarakan, Buleleng for instance gathered to pray and feast together, according to Tribun Bali.
The gathering ahead of Ramadan serves for residents to purify themselves and also remember and honor village elders who are already deceased, village elder Abdul Karim Abraham told Tribun.
Though Indonesia is Muslim majority, Bali’s Muslim’s are clearly in the minority with the island’s dominant Hindu population—though residents of Perjakan say they have a strong sense of community and inter-religious tolerance.
“Here is known for high tolerance and togetherness. Almost no conflict. If we have an issue, Hindus are happy to help and vice versa, because we have a social life that has diversity,” Abraham explained, adding the mutual respect for each other’s cultures goes across differences.
