The Daily SHOOT! - Kid in Lombok

Kid in Lombok, originally uploaded by tgtwb.

This was taken in Lombok Island, a haven separated from its more popular brother, Bali.

I believe the kid in the photo is one of the Sasaks, who are the local inhabitants in Lombok. We were on a tour then, to visit various hotspots within the island (not many though) including to the Sasak Tribal Village.

Majority of the population in Lombok are Muslims, but as you travel within the island, you know that Hinduism is widespread and is still practiced on the majority Muslim island. Compare this to Big Brother Bali - where majority are Hindus.

And Hinduism made its presence felt and known - when even in a clearly defined Islamic set of rules, the Sasak indigenous people created they own "religion" and beliefs, called the Wetu Telu - which is a unique religion that blends both Islam and Animism and is only found in Northern Lobok, from a village of Bayan.

They consider themselves Muslims but incorporate rituals borrowed from Hinduism, Taoism and Animism where worldly offerings (like clothes, toothbrush, food etc.) are sacrificed for the dead to use in the after-life.

Very interesting indeed...!