Mataram: Hindus to pray for end to pandemic

The Hindu community in Mataram City will hold a “Peneduh Jagat” prayer to wish for an end to the pandemic soon, the Mataram Communication and Informatics Office in West Nusa Tenggara has informed.

The prayer will take place on February 1, 2022, head of the Mataram Communication and Informatics Office, I Nyoman Swandiasa, said in Mataram on Tuesday.

“The center of the activity will be held at the Cakranegara Intersection of AA Gede Ngurah Street and Pejanggik Street,” he told reporters after attending a meeting of the Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda).

According to Swandiasa, one of the matters discussed at the meeting was the joint prayer activity, “Peneduh Jagat.”

The joint prayer will be performed in the hope that the city of Mataram and Indonesia can be free from the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

The mass event has been approved by Deputy Mayor of Mataram, Mujiburrahman, who has asked the organizers to ensure the COVID-19 health protocols are observed strictly, he informed.

The health protocols are aimed at preventing the transmission of COVID-19 due to crowding, as Omicron cases have been detected in Mataram city, he added.

Therefore, the time and the number of participants at the prayer will be limited to prevent unwanted outcomes, he said.

According to Swandiasa, the “Peneduh Jagat” prayer” is the second such activity in the city. A mass prayer event had been organized following an earthquake in 2018, too, he added.

However, as the pandemic is still ongoing, the prayer committee will need to coordinate with the COVID-19 Task Force and police officers, he said.

“The number of participants and other technical matters are still being discussed with the Mataram Police,” he added.

Source: Antara News