Hinduism In Bali

Hinduism was already prevalent in most of Indonesia way before Islam came, spread by monks on trading ships from India, with the locals later forming societies and kingdoms based around this culture

A while after that, though Islam came, also from traders, and the religion appealed more to the locals and they welcomed it warmly, partly because it lacks the caste system which Hinduism has. Islam spread wider and wider until Indonesia become what it is now.

So Hinduism already exists in Bali, and it can be presumed that the locals did not accept Islam, and instead remaining in Hinduism.

There's never been a significant presence of Muslim community there since barely anybody from where they all hail ever came to Bali to spread the religion. By the time Majapahit began to loose its dominance over the archipelago, most of its spin-offs underwent the Islamization but retained its maritime culture. Bali didn't. Unlike Java, Bail didn't (and doesn't) posses any major trading port. Elusive as it might be, no significant spice grew in Bali as well. Traders from South Asia and Near East sailed to Malacca, Java or Borneo -- marrying locals while introducing Islamism to local nobles -- and making contact with people from the East (lesser Sunda, Moluccas and Buru), while passing Bali altogether.

Bali remained isolated and undisturbed for 300 hundred years since the fall of Majapahit. It allied the Franco-Dutch bloc during Napoleonic wars, ensuring its sovereignty in the wake of European scrambles of every corner of earth. All that while retaining Hinduism as state religion. Thus, Bali and Aceh were the last places in Indonesian Archipelago to have not yet fallen into full Dutch control in the wake of twentieth century. By the time the Dutch army was invading the southern Balinese kingdoms (where Denpasar lies) in 1908, almost all of local hereditary rulers were acting as either a vassal, a puppet ruler or just a symbol of a local Dutch-administered sub-colonial entity.

Balinese say that their ancestors where from India, some say Indian Hindu rulers during 8th century ruled the island and gave the Hindu religion to its inhabitants. May be this is the reason why the ocean got its name "The Indian ocean", an ocean ruled by Indians.

Today almost 90% of Bali population is Hindu, and the masses love to flaunt their religion. Major road crossing squares posses giant statues of mythological hero's Rama, Krishna ,bhima , Arjuna and many more. Unlike India people out here are more religious and ardent believer of Hinduism. Their temple doesn't contain idol as they strongly claim they are not idol worshipers, and support their statement with its mention in holy vedas inscriptions, which again contradicts Hinduism of india.

May be this is how Hinduism was back then in 8th century across the ocean. No idol worship ,no discrimination among classes and no superstitious belifes. But then after 8th century the religion took different courses in two different lands, in India it evolved to what it is today we follow in India, whereas it remained the very same in Bali the way it was back in 8th century.

Today Balinese believes in the trinity , bramha ,Vishnu , Mahesh . the creator - protector - destroyer. They believe in each and every aspect of Hinduism and practices it religiously. There temple contains trinity without any idol inside. They follow Vedas and the epic stories ardently. For them their heroes are the one from the great epic stories Ramayana and Mahabharata. Their traditional costumes still have traces of our Indian wear ,sari, apparently their ethnic wear resembles very much to the costumes in southern india under the rule of pallava and chola dynasties.

Today in front of Balinese you as a Indian Hindu might feel inadequate in calling yourself a Hindu. Hinduism has been complicated by we indians in last 10 centuries. May the changes made in our customs where need of the hour back then.

May be this is what Hinduism is all about Making yourself comfortable in the surrounding. Actually Hinduism isn't a religion but way of life. One need to mould him self as per the socio-politico condition of the surrounding. In last decade of centuries we indians have witnessed many invasions, change of power and crises which left some serious stains leading to letting Indian

Bali has also evolved in away, for its survival it has accepted tourism industry. Tourists are the first citizens of Bali , yes its true. You can apparently feel it once you land in the island. The ever smiling faces of Balinese make you fall in love with this beautiful community. They will adore you and help you in discovering their island. When in Bali you shall not bother about crossing the heavily trafficked road, because unlike any other place in the planet, whole traffic will stop for you to cross the road that too with a smiling face by the waiting car drivers. Yes its true am not making this up, me and my wife have actually experienced this in Bali on couple of occasions. And this and few similar incidents made me make this statement " Bali must be the only province on earth where visitors/ tourists are its first citizens ".

And I strongly believe this evolution amongst the local masses has a reason too, during the recent blasts, in 2002 and 2005 which took place at the crowded pubs near kuta beach left Bali with sorrows of down time in tourist industry. Even today people out here get upset while discussing about event and its aftereffects. It was a season of draught for the tourism industries, and Balinese would never even dream of such experience in future. Thus tourist are the focal of attention for them.

Balinese Hinduism (Indonesian: Hindu Dharma) 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. Although the population of Indonesia is predominantly Muslim and Christian, 83% of the people on Bali identify as Hindu. The fundamental principle underlying Hinduism is that there is order in the cosmos, known as dharma. There is also a disordering force, adharma. Hindus seek balance and harmony between these two forces, thus freeing themselves from the never-ending cycle of reincarnation, attaining a state called moksa.

Balinese Hinduism divides the cosmos into three layers. The highest level is heaven, or suarga, the abode of the gods. Next is the world of man, buwah. Below this is hell or bhur, where the demons live and where people's spirits are punished for misdeeds on earth. This tripartite division is mirrored in the human body (head, body and feet) and the shrines found outside Balinese buildings.

Along with the traditional Hindu gods such as Brahma, Vishnu and Siva, Balinese Hindus worship a range of deities unique to their branch of the religion. Sang Hyang Widhi (also known as Acintya or Sang Hyang Tunggal) is the designation for one God in Balinese Hinduism. In the concept of Balinese tradition of Hinduism, Acintya or Sang Hyang Widhi is associated with the concept of Brahman. Balinese Hindu belief in a single God is in line with the first principle of the Indonesian state philosophy Pancasila.

The empty chair at the top of the padmasana shrine found outside houses and temples is for Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa According to Balinese Hindu precepts, there are many manifestations of Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa in the form of gods such as Dewi Sri, the goddess of rice, and many other gods associated with mountains, lakes and the sea.

Balinese Hindus built Pura Parahyangan Agung Jagatkarta, the second largest temple in Indonesia after Pura Besakih in Bali, dedicated to Hindu Sundanese King Sri Baduga Maharaja.

Sang Ratu Jaya Dewata. Pura Aditya Jaya is the largest temple in Indonesian capital Jakarta.

At least one Balinese Hindu temple exists in Europe. A padmasana exists in Hamburg, Germany in front of the Museum of Ethnology, Hamburg.