Today’s featured postcard is from Indonesia! This card shows Puhsarang Church, located in Puhsarang Village, East Java (the eastern part of Java Island, kind of where Surabaya and Malang are). Indonesia is primarily a Muslim country, however there are other faiths that exist here – one, though a minority, is Catholicism. Puhsarang Church is a Catholic church that was built using Javanese architectural style by a Dutch pastor (Jan Walters), using the help of an Indo-European engineer. I know for myself, the word “church” gives me the image of a VERY western-style building, with a steeple and such. Looking at this card though you may not even recognize it as a church! So yeah, Catholic church with a Javanese build. Another interesting aspect of this church is that it contains a grotto, called Mary cave (referring to Mother Mary), where one can perform Catholic rituals at. What’s neat is that it bears a strong resemblance to the one in Lourdes, France. Lourdes is considered to be the third-most important site of Catholic pilgrimage globally (after Israel and Rome). So, I imagine the inclusion of such a closely-replicated shrine is a big draw for those who practice this faith. Thank you so much for sharing this neat postcard and for all your kindness and support, Chandra!
