Although Purnama apologised for passing offending remarks, he denied committing blasphemy.
The sentence went against the recommendation of prosecutors, who asked that he be given a suspended jail term.
The trial against Ahok was encouraged by Islamist radicals, led by the Islamic Defenders Front organisation, who were against a non-Muslim being in charge of Jakarta, and which organised mass protests against him in October and November.
Although the blasphemy law (Presidential Decree No. 1/PNPS/1965) and Article 156 (a) of the Criminal Code were enacted in 1965, they were used to prosecute only around 10 individuals between 1965 and 1998, when former President Suharto was in power during which time the right to freedom of expression was severely curtailed.
Ahok said during the campaign that people were being deceived if they believed a specific verse in the Quran forbids Muslims from voting for non-Muslims.
'Ahok's is the biggest blasphemy case in the history of Indonesia, ' he said.
Protesters opposed to Jakarta governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama in front of the Supreme Court in Jakarta, Indonesia, May 5, 2017. It is unclear whether he would be released once the appeal is underway.
Jakarta Gov. Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama (center) talks with his lawyers after his sentencing hearing Tuesday in Indonesia's capital city.
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At the United Nations this month, the United States called on Indonesia to end all prosecutions of people for the offences that Ahok was facing.
Purnama, a Christian and member of the country's ethnic Chinese minority, is somewhat of an unusual case in the country in that he is the first non-Muslim leader of Indonesia's sprawling capital, Jakarta, in over 50 years.
Jakarta's Christian governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, popularly known as Ahok, arrives at a courtroom for his verdict and sentence in his blasphemy trial in Jakarta today.
Purnama, also known by his Chinese name Ahok, was hauled into court a year ago to face trial for remarks he made in September 2016 while campaigning for re-election.
Hardline Islamist groups initiated the process, accusing Ahok of insulting the Quran during his losing reelection bid a year ago and called for him to be arrested and tried.
The government has been criticised for not doing enough to protect religious minorities but Widodo had urged restraint over the trial and called for all sides to respect the legal process.
President Jokowi has received the official report from Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo regarding a decision to temporarily suspend Ahok as the Jakarta Governor.
Critics see Ahok's fate as tied to a prolonged decline in religious tolerance in Indonesia. "Therefore we will appeal".
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