7 Holy and Religious Sites in Indonesia

Indonesia has a lot of tourist attractions that are magnificent both for the locals and foreigners. Just mention the natural attraction, Indonesia has abundant natural attractions that attract tourists by their natural beauty.

Historical attractions also tell us about the long history of Indonesia with its diversity. There’s one more kind of attraction that is also important and interesting to explore.

Indonesia also has some magnificent, holy and religious sites. These religious sites are spread throughout the area of Indonesia. Here they are, the 7 holy and religious sites in Indonesia for you to make you closer to the creator.

• Istiqlal Mosque

Being one of the beautiful mosques in Indonesia, Istiqlal Mosque was first opened to the public by the first president of Indonesia. Istiqlal Mosque of Jakarta is the largest mosque in Southeast Asia both in structure and capacity. It can accommodate congregations of up to 120,000 people.

Istiqlal Mosque is located at Jalan Taman Wijaya Kusuma, Central Jakarta. Istiqlal means independence, and it reminds us of Indonesia’s struggle for the national independence.

• Tanah Lot

Tanah Lot is one of the most important sites in Bali. It has a unique offshore setting which provide perfect backdrop for sunset photos. The temple has sea panorama which is built in two different places: one is located in a large rock and another on a cliff that faces the sea.

Tanah Lot temple is the place of worship of the god of the sea guard. It is one of the famous attractions you should visit when you come to Bali. At the high ide, the narrow connecting strip of land is submerged and as a result the temple is cut off from the land. The best time to visit Tanah Lot temple is during sunset.

There are several things you need to know before visiting Tanah Lot. Avoid getting near the rocks in the vicinity of Tanah Lot as there are many accidents happened due to huge waves there. If you’re non-Hindu, you will not be allowed to enter the temple. Instead, you can watch this from afar.

• Sewu Temple, Prambanan

Sewu is the eight-century Mahayana Buddhist temple. It is located around 800 meters north of Prambanan in Central Java. It is also the second largest Buddhist temple in Indonesia after Borobudur.

This temple is mostly used for royal ceremonies. The name Sewu means a thousand, but actually there are only around 253 building structures.

• Besakih Temple

Beside Tanah Lot, Bali also has another religious site called Besakih Temple. Besakih Temple is the biggest Hindu temple in Bali. The locals called this temple as Pura Besakih. In 1917 earthquakes, many of the temples of the complex were destroyed and had to be rebuilt.

Then, in 1963, this temple survived a volcano eruption. Many Balinese people said that it was a miracle. If you’re nearby, make sure to put these thngs to do near Besakih Temple Bali in your itinerary.

Besakih Temple is located in East Bali, specifically at the foot of Mount Agung. It is made up of 23 temples over 6 terraces. The most important being is the Pura Penataran Agung, which is the house of different areas representing 7 layers of the universe.

• Cathedral Church, Jakarta

Across Istiqlal Mosque, there is another religious site, Cathedral Church. Built by using a neo-classical style, the Cathedral Church is an elegant yet majestic.

It was finished in 1901. Cathedral Church is located near the Merdeka Palace, at Jalan Katedral 2. Cathedral Church is also listed as iconic landmarks of Jakarta.

The building of the church is divided into 2 stories: the ground floor for the masses and religious events while the second floor was used to be designed to hold the choir now hosts a small religious museum. You can admire robes, religious books and relics of the Catholic rituals.

• Batu Bolong Temple

Batu Bolong Temple is located in the traditional village of Canggu, North Kuta District, Badung. It is facing the sea south of the island of Bali. Batu Bolong Temple was established as a place of worship of the Ida Batara Segara. Hindu community in Bal always come to this temple every day to pray.

The best activity you can do in Batu Bolong Temple is during sunset. Seeing the beautiful sunset in Batu Bolong Temple will make your day memorable. You can both enjoy the beauty and the magic of the nature where the sky is reddish orange. Enjoy the sunset along with the breeze and the chirping birds.

Consider these things to do in Canggu Indonesia and get a wonderful experience!

• Blenduk Church, Semarang

Blenduk Church is a Protestant church located in Semarang, Central Java. It was built in 1753 and is the oldest church in the province.

This church was built by using classic European style and the whole room in this church has a beautiful and luxurious stylish interior. The Blenduk in the name means “rounded” because of the dome of the church that looks like a sphere.