West Java is a province with various cultural, historical, and religious
potentials that can be developed as a major tourist attraction, especially at
Cangkuang Temple, located in Cangkuang village, Leles sub-district, Garut
Regency. Kampung Pulo is a traditional village founded in the 18th century.
Initially, this community still embraced Hinduism, but the arrival of Arief
Muhammad from the Mataram kingdom impacted greatly by spreading Islam until
now. Relating to this, researchers were interested in studying the history of
Cangkuang Temple and the role of Arief Muhammad in spreading Islam in Pulo
Village, Cangkuang Village, Leles Sub-District, Garut Regency.
The study aimed to reveal the history of Cangkuang Temple, from the
research process, excavation, and restoration of Cangkuang Temple from 1967-
1974, then the development of the Cangkuang Temple tourist attraction after the
restoration. Besides, the study also aimed to understand Arief Muhammad's role
in spreading Islam in Pulo Village, Cangkuang Village, Leles District, and Garut
Regency. This study implemented the historical method by implementing
heuristics (steps to find and collect sources), criticism of external criticism
(criticism from the outside or the authenticity of the source) and internal criticism
(criticism in source credibility), interpretation (interpreting historical facts) and
historiography as a step in writing history.
The results of this study indicated that Cangkuang Temple was non-verbal
folklore (artifact) inherited from two religions, namely Hinduism and Islam.
Hindu religious relics, which were in the form of a statue of Lord Shiva inside
Cangkuang Temple, were estimated to be from the 7th century, and Islamic relics
from the 17th century with the tomb remained of Arief Muhammad. One of the
historical relics that can be used as a tourist attraction is the Cangkuang Temple
site in Pulo Village, Cangkuang Village, Leles District, Garut Regency. Pulo
Traditional Village is a traditional village that was founded in the 18th century.
At first, this community still embraced Hinduism. The arrival of Arief Muhammad,
a descendant of the Mataram kingdom, brought a significant impact by spreading
Islam religion, so they became Islamic believers. However, they still believed in
Khurafat as they were still taught when they were Hindus, such as the pamali
tradition and religious rituals they still carry out today. Along with the entry of
the tourism sector in Cangkuang Temple, located in the Pulo Indigenous village
area around 1976, it is now bringing a multidimensional positive change impact
on the community and its surroundings.