JAKARTA, INDONESIA, December 1, 2024 (Tempo.co): The Indonesian Ambassador to the Netherlands, Mayerfas, inaugurated the first pura (a Balinese-style Hindu temple) in the Netherlands on Saturday, November 30, 2024. The pura is located in Indonesia Park, Kallenkote, Overijssel, The Netherlands. “This pura is not only a place for worship rituals for the Balinese Hindus in the Netherlands and surroundings, but also a symbol of shared pride, evidence of determination, harmony, tolerance and spirit of togetherness,” said Mayerfas, quoted from the official statement of the Indonesian Embassy in The Hague. The Balinese community in the Netherlands, numbering more than 250 people, has long desired the establishment of a pura for worship and to celebrate important days. So far, they have had to rent buildings and move around, including traveling to a pura in Belgium.

“In the Netherlands, there are already many mosques and churches owned by the Indonesian diaspora, so our Balinese Hindu community also really wants to have a pura. This is also for our future generations,” said Made Aniadi, the head of the Bali Abdi Samasta Foundation. The initiative to establish the pura from the Balinese Community has been fully supported by the Indonesian Embassy in The Hague by providing facilitation for its realization. In addition to voluntary contributions from the diaspora community in the Netherlands, many parties have also assisted, including Balinese residents from Indonesia who donated materials for the pura made from black stones from Karangasem, site of Mount Agung, Bali’s highest and holiest volcano. The pura is located within a garden surrounded by flora and fauna from Indonesia and far from the city’s hustle and bustle.

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https://en.tempo.co/read/1947498/indonesian-embassy-in-the-hague-inaugurates-the-first-pura-in-the-netherlands

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