After nearly 2000 years since Hindus first arrived, Bali is now the last Hindu stronghold of Indonesia. Hindu temples and Hindu practice are different in Bali and India. This video looks at how the Balinese temples are organised and also the main theological difference of Indonesia Hinduism.
The second half of the video is concerned with the Sendratari Ramayana and shows it performed with Kechak at sunset at the Uluwatu temple in Southern Bali. The ballet depicts the ancient Indian epic of Lord Rama who, with heroic Hanuman the monkey, wages war on the Rakshasas of Lanka in order to rescue Sita. It is a very Indo-European myth, and I loved seeing it depicted in dance!
Balinese Hinduism is the form of Hinduism practiced by the majority of the population of Bali. This is particularly associated with the Balinese people residing on the island, and represents a distinct form of Hindu worship incorporating local animism, ancestor worship or Pitru Paksha, and reverence for Buddhist saints or Bodhisattava.
The population of Indonesian islands is predominantly Muslim (87%). The island of Bali is an exception where 83% of its people identify as Hindu. Upon independence from the Dutch colonial rule, the 1945 Constitution of Indonesia guaranteed freedom of religion to all citizens. In 1952, states Michel Picard – an anthropologist and scholar of Balinese history and religion, the Indonesian Ministry of Religion came under the control of Islamists who severely constrained an acceptable definition of a "religion". To be acceptable as an official Indonesian religion, the ministry defined "religion" as one that is monotheistic, has codified religious law and added a number of requirements. Further, Indonesia denied rights of citizenship (such as the right to vote) to anyone not belonging to an officially recognized monotheistic religion. The minority Balinese Hindus adapted and declared their form of Hinduism to be monotheistic, and presented it in a form to be politically eligible for the status of "agama". Balinese Hinduism has been formally recognized by the Indonesian government as one of the official religions practiced in Bali.
The second half of the video is concerned with the Sendratari Ramayana and shows it performed with Kechak at sunset at the Uluwatu temple in Southern Bali. The ballet depicts the ancient Indian epic of Lord Rama who, with heroic Hanuman the monkey, wages war on the Rakshasas of Lanka in order to rescue Sita. It is a very Indo-European myth, and I loved seeing it depicted in dance!
Balinese Hinduism is the form of Hinduism practiced by the majority of the population of Bali. This is particularly associated with the Balinese people residing on the island, and represents a distinct form of Hindu worship incorporating local animism, ancestor worship or Pitru Paksha, and reverence for Buddhist saints or Bodhisattava.
The population of Indonesian islands is predominantly Muslim (87%). The island of Bali is an exception where 83% of its people identify as Hindu. Upon independence from the Dutch colonial rule, the 1945 Constitution of Indonesia guaranteed freedom of religion to all citizens. In 1952, states Michel Picard – an anthropologist and scholar of Balinese history and religion, the Indonesian Ministry of Religion came under the control of Islamists who severely constrained an acceptable definition of a "religion". To be acceptable as an official Indonesian religion, the ministry defined "religion" as one that is monotheistic, has codified religious law and added a number of requirements. Further, Indonesia denied rights of citizenship (such as the right to vote) to anyone not belonging to an officially recognized monotheistic religion. The minority Balinese Hindus adapted and declared their form of Hinduism to be monotheistic, and presented it in a form to be politically eligible for the status of "agama". Balinese Hinduism has been formally recognized by the Indonesian government as one of the official religions practiced in Bali.
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