LAST April, on a visit to Sumenep in Madura, I found the convergence of the three cultures, symbolic of the triangle of life, in the Grand Mosque, the Kraton of Sumenep and the Asta Tinggi at the eastern end of the island.

The Grand Mosque symbolizes the vertical relationship of the communities in Sumenep with The Creator, the Kraton the worldly power, and the Asta Tinggi the burial grounds where men are reminded of death.

Looking at the symbol