Singaraja- In the series of its 32nd Dies Natalis, Ganesha University of Education (Undiksha) carried out community service activities at Batu Kursi Temple and Manik Meketel Temple, Pemuteran Village, Gerokgak District, Buleleng Regency, on Tuesday (14/1/2024). The activities were a manifestation of Undiksha’s commitment to handling various problems faced by the community in supporting environmental preservation through the Tri Hita Karana philosophy.
One of the activities was planting hundreds of trees in the Batu Kursi Temple area. This program aimed for greening and environmental preservation, considering the importance of maintaining the balance of the ecosystem in the area. This event was attended by Undiksha leaders, lecturers, and students, who participated in planting trees. In addition, this activity was combined with joint prayers at Pemuteran Temple and Bukit Kursi Temple, as a form of gratitude and hope that this greening activity will provide long-term benefits for the environment. At the same time, Undiksha also handed over the clothes of the priest and gifts at Bukit Kursi Temple.
On the other hand, community service was also carried out at Pura Manik Meketel by building a water reservoir. This project is designed to utilize water sources located in the hills, about 2.5 kilometers from the settlement of Pemuteran Village. The location of the water source is steep and can only be accessed via a footpath in the middle of the forest, which is a challenge for the community service workers in transporting construction materials.
Head of the Undiksha Research and Community Service Institute (LPPM), Prof. Dr. I Nengah Suparta, said that this activity is an implementation of the Tri Hita Karana philosophy, especially the palemahan aspect, which emphasizes the harmonious relationship between humans and the environment. “The construction of a water reservoir at the Manik Meketel Temple aims to meet the water needs in the Batu Kursi Temple area, both for community consumption and to support the greening program that is being promoted,” said Suparta.
This community service activity had a good appreciation from the Head of Batu Kursi Temple, Jero Mangku Wayan Senadi. He said that reforestation in the Batu Kursi Temple area is very important to maintain a balanced environmental ecosystem. Meanwhile, the construction of a water reservoir in Manik Meketel Temple has long been the hope of the local community. With this community service program, he hopes that the water needs in the Batu Kursi Temple area can be met, thus supporting the sustainability of community activities and the reforestation program that is being implemented.
Mangku Wayan Senadi also hoped that this community service program can be carried out sustainably. He added that the presence of water is not only vital to support community life, but also to maintain environmental sustainability downstream and the Batu Kursi Temple area.
Through this community service activity, Undiksha shows its commitment in providing real contributions to support environmental sustainability and improving the quality of life of the community. Activities like this are expected to continue to be carried out in the future as a form of responsibility of higher education to the community.
