Believed to have originated in the northern village of Bayan, Wektu Telu is a complex mixture of Hindu, Islamic and animist beliefs, though it’s classified as a sect of Islam. At its forefront is a rather physical concept of the Holy Trinity.  The sun, moon and the stars represent heaven, earth and water; while the head, body and limbs represent creativity, sensitivity and control.

As recently as 1965, the vast majority of Sasaks in northern Lombok were Wektu Telu, but under Soeharto’s New Order government, indigenous religious beliefs were discouraged and considered backwards, and it was mortally dangerous to practise it overtly – hence the Islam classification.

Most of the Wektu Telu religious festivals take place at the beginning of the rainy season (from October to December), or at harvest time (April to May), with celebrations in villages all over the island. Though these ceremonies and rituals are annual events, they are based on a lunar calendar and do not fall on specific days. Getting to see one is a matter of divine coincidence.

Source: Lonely Planet Bali and Lombok