UNAIR NEWS – The team of Community Service Program – Learning Together with the Community (KKN-BBM) Universitas Airlangga in Banyuwangi suggested Purwo Temple to become a new tourist destination. They were inspired from their visit to the temple on Sunday, July 8.
The team with nine members explored the potential of Kedungasri Village historical values. They were expected to be able to make Purwo Temple a new tourism destination in the region.
The idea came up when one of the Team of 58-thematic BBM-staff was deployed to Kedungasri Village, Tegaldlimo Sub-district, Banyuwangi. The team saw a lot of potential there. One of them was natural potential as the village is beautiful.
Kedungasri village consists of three hamlets or dusun. Dusun Pondokasem, Dambuntung, and Persen. One of the hamlets, Dusun Pondokasem, has potential in tourism through the existence of Purwo Temple.
The team accompanied by the Head of Dusun Pondok Asem, Parmin and Kedungasri Village Legislative Board (BPD), Kowi, visited the temple and studied its potential. There was also Bejo, the temple caretaker.
Head of KKN-BBM 58 UNAIR Kedungasri village Team, Ifan Haidar Ali conveyed that, Purwo temple has not been widely known by the public. All this time, the temple is only visited by Hindus for worship activity.
“Located in the middle of the forest, the temple has a beautiful panorama and has the potential to be developed as a tourist destination, ” he said.
“Around the temple Purwo, there is a mound of land known as Gumuk Gadung which believed by the locals that it will not be submerged by water despite the tidal water,” added Haidar.
Based on the story in the community, the temple was built to remember the location of King Brawijaya and Sunan Kalijaga meeting point. They discussed the issue of Majapahit Kingdom, that the Kingdom had been destroyed by Demak Kingdom. But in fact, the Majapahit Kingdom was not destroyed by the attack of Demak, but by civil war.
“Until now, many Hindu people, both from Banyuwangi and Bali who visit to worship to this temple,” said Bejo.
Although there is a temple, the majority of the population in Kedungasri is Muslim. There is also Christianity worshippers. It shows the existing tolerance and diversity.
Ayu Nur Imany, a member of the KKN group, revealed that the tolerance value in Kedusngasri Village can be used as an attraction. The diversity can be used as an amplifier to respect each other and foster tolerance values.
“Religious tolerance makes this Kedungasri Village calm, orderly, and active in worship activities according to their own religion and belief,” she said. (*)
Author: Siti Mufaidah
Editor: Feri Fenoria Rifa’i
