Friday, May 25, 2012

Tua Pek Kong Batam Twice Survives Raging Fire

Batam people are generally more familiar with Buddhist Vihara Budhi Bhakti as the Tua Pek Kong. One of the oldest monasteries in Batam, located in Windsor, District Lubukbaja.

The atmosphere of the past will be felt when we visited the Buddhist Vihara Budhi Bhakti. Buddha Vihara Budhi Bhakti is different from most of the monasteries. In this monastery there are three religions (Tri Dharma), namely Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism who perform religious rites in it. Although in the same temple, but worshiped different Gods.



The main building is a place of worship Taoists and Buddhists, where the altar there were Toa Pek Kong statue of the god, the god Kwan Kong, and god Lupan Sien Sen for Taoist religion. While there is a separate altar statue of god Sakyamuni worshiped by Buddhist. In a separate room there is also a statue of Kwan Im Goddess and Buddha Maitreya.

For adherents of Confucianism, where concentrated in a separate building that is located in a building that was once the entertainment stage. Historically, Buddhist Vihara Budhi Bhakti had moved in four different locations. Starting from simple Tua Pek Kong temple measuring 3 meters x 3 meters in rubber plantations, precisely in the foothills of the National Camp (now PT Mc Dermott) built by Li Lim in 1953 ago. The building was made of grass thatch-roofed wood.

Three years later (1955), Tua Pek Kong temple was burned simple. After that, there are 20 households in the village residents who were mutual aid to build the temple.

Over time, Batam continues to grow. Industry started to go. 1968, Tua Pek Kong temple was moved to Jodoh street. In a plot of land under rubber because of the location of the foothills of the National Camp will be built PT Ingram.

After that, the Tua Pek Kong temple was moved to the location Samyong Market (now Tanjungpantun Market) where that location is the center of Batam's shopping and residential communities.


In the new location, Tua Pek Kong temple occupies an area of 300 square meters. But still made of wood and tin roof. Consists of four main buildings, where the main prayer area of 4 x 5 meters, the two buildings that serve as a resting place, and the stage that serves as a place of entertainment stage if there is a big event these days.

Until sometime in the late 80s, came the great fire which destroyed all the buildings in a mate. However, strangely the only two places of worship which stood intact, that is Mosque and Tua Pek Kong temple that is still intact.

Several years later, Tua Pek Kong temple then moved to Windsor until now.

Establishment of Budhi Bhakti Buddhist monastery in Windsor cannot be separated from the contribution of foreign tourists who pray in this temple. From the beginning until now Budhi Bhakti Buddhist monastery in Windsor is never devoid of tourists visiting foreign countries, especially the tourists who want to pray at this temple.

After that, the Batam Buddha disciples hand in hand to build Budhi Bhakti Buddhist monastery to be like this now.

From time to time, Budhi Bhakti Buddhist monastery continues to grow. Places that are still used as a spacious garden occupied with statues of gods artistically constructed by several sponsors. Like the statue of Kwan Im Goddess, Kwan Kong, Buddha Sakyamuni, miniature Admiral Ceng Ho and his ship.
Many tourists are posing against the backdrop of the statues. Broad field, located in the middle of an area of 1.7 hectares land. Activities such as gymnastics Tai Chi and Shaolin Kung Fu training were held in this field.

The Rousing Fireworks.

Ahead of Chinese New Year, rushing at the Buddha Vihara Budhi Bhakti is more crowded than a typical day. Walls and fences painted like new. Not to forget the typical Chinese New Year decorations, the lanterns. Hundreds of small and large size lanterns hung either indoors or outdoors that is created with a rope and electrical cord.

Dozens of large incense colored dragon motif planted in front of the main building, the smoke that continues to soar nose ambushed upon entering the gates of the monastery which is also known as Tua Pek  Kong  Bio. Meanwhile, in the main building, light of the candle and the light of lanterns together so as to make the red bias effect. Moreover, objects that exist in the worship space were also dominant red. No wonder, if the monastery is the dominant color of red paint.


Seven days before Chinese New Year, when the moon has revealed it’s fully form, thousands of community Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism (Tri Dharma) that the average is Batam Chinese clan flocked to the temple to pray. Of children, teenagers, to older people, men and women. They rejoiced, prayed a prayer, prayer of hope and prayer of thanksgiving in the presence of the gods.

Fitted peak at midnight the parking area will be full of vehicles and the community will thronged Buddhist monastery for prayer purposes. The more nights, the more solid oratory and altars are also filled with fruit or pastries that come courtesy of the disciples.

Not only marked by devotion and prayer to the gods and the ancestors of course, the night also marked by festive fireworks. When the clock was nearly 24 pm, officials set off fireworks from the front door of the jumbo size of the main building. BANG... BANG...  explosion loud and the sound is also typical of the attention people are across the street in front of the monastery.

The sky, colorful, lots of people who capture the beautiful moments with a camera phone. Each pause the sound of fireworks to applause and cries of the compact.

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