Masjid Tjia Kang Ho. Photo : CNBC Indonesia.
JAKARTA, JAKTIMES.COM – If you wander to Jalan H Soleh RT 02/07 Kelurahan Pekayon, Pasar Rebo, East Jakarta, you will be greeted by a strong atmosphere of diversity. The diversity of religion, ethnicity, and culture is tightly integrated in this area.
Amidst the hustle and bustle, there is a building that symbolizes harmonious diversity, namely Masjid Tjia Kang Ho. Formerly, this building was the residence of the grandfather.
With a land area of approximately 793 square meters and a building area of 297.5 square meters, this mosque becomes a portrait of the acculturation of Chinese, Islamic, and Betawi cultures, which is captivating.
Muhammad Wildan Hakiki, Chairman of the Mosque Prosperity Council (DKM) of Masjid Tjia Kang Ho, explained that the name of this mosque was taken from his grandfather’s name before converting to Islam and changing his name to H. Abdul Soleh.
“Before converting to Islam, our grandfather was named Tjia Kang Ho. This mosque building was previously our grandfather’s house. After a family meeting, we agreed to turn it into a mosque,” he said as quoted by Jaktimes.com from Beritajakarta.id.
Wildan explained that in order to preserve the cultural heritage of their ancestors, this mosque was built resembling a temple, taking inspiration from Masjid Al-Imtizaj in Jalan Banceuy, Bandung, West Java, as well as Masjid Muhammad Cheng Hoo in Surabaya and Masjid Tan Kok Liong in Cibinong, West Java.
“The construction of this mosque was initiated by my father, Budiyanto Tjia, to spread Islam in this area,” added Wildan.
Masjid Tjia Kang Ho has five parts of pagodas symbolizing the Pillars of Islam, and three tiers of pagodas on the main roof reflecting the pillars of religion as a path to Heaven.
Although the construction is not yet fully completed, this mosque can already be used for obligatory prayers and tarawih prayers during Ramadan. Wildan hopes that after completion, this mosque will become an active center for Islamic outreach activities, positively impacting the surrounding community (JT/BJ)
