Around 3.000 Muslims consisting of Muslimat Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), cultural figures, and students held a lantern parade to commemorate the Islamic New Year, 1 Muharram 1437 Hijri, Tuesday evening (13/10).
Before the parade, the participants gathered at the Grand Jami Mosque to perform congregational prayers and say the New Year's prayer. Wearing all white, the parade participants gathered at Merdeka Square and prepared to carry out the procession.
After praying, the parade participants were sent off by the Deputy Mayor of Malang, Drs. Sutiaji. Along the way, while carrying lanterns, the participants chanted takbir, tahmid and tahlil. Arriving at the line finish, namely in the yard of Malang City Hall, they were welcomed by the Mayor of Malang H. Moch. Anton and other Malang City Government officials.
The parade participants scrambled to shake hands with the Mayor of Malang and immortalize the moment by taking pictures together. There were even some parade participants who gave their lanterns to the man who is often called Abah Anton as a souvenir.
According to Abah Anton, his party highly appreciates the positive activities in order to enliven the Islamic New Year like this. "The excitement and solemnity of this event is no less than when the New Year of the Gregorian calendar comes," he added, Tuesday (13/10).
The same thing was also conveyed by one of the committees who is also a member of Commission X of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Latifa Sohib who said that next year (2016) an even more festive event will be held. "The enthusiasm of the participants and residents is extraordinary, so this is something memorable," she explained.
Latifa will even recommend this event to the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism to become one of the religious tours. "We will immediately consult with the Ministry of Tourism as soon as possible. We have indeed been working together in various ways, and I think there will be no difficulties later," she concluded. (say/yon)
