Hinduism in Bali - Being a Hindu in India

September 27, 2020

Hinduism in Bali - Being a Hindu in India

Hinduism - Belief beyond Expectation and Karma

I am a proud Indian Hindu and all throughout my life I've been taught to govern my actions by beliefs and values of family and my religion. In mind, Gods and goddesses have been projected as normal human beings but of supreme souls, paramount to human existence.

In India, each god has some attached significance, be it wealth with Laxmi, be it education and learning with Saraswati, power with hanuman and so on. We know on whom to rely when we encounter situations.

Gods and Godesses are invoked at birth, in life and at death. Fairs, festival, functions etc cannot begin without solicitation from gods.

Now when i reach Bali, an indonesian island, with nearly 83% hindu population, my sense of pride in being a hindu multiplies. Various hindu sects exist here today, namely vaishnava, shaivites, ganpatya etc.

As I land at the Ngurah Rai International airport in Jimbaran, a local driver named Mr Kaar comes to pick me he seemed to be a gentleman guy at very first sight and all throughout the trip he was just awesome. Very helpful and cooperative.

We checked in to the hotel and next day marked start of our sightseeing.

We were taken to Batubalan village to see magical show of Barong and Keris dance.

Barong is a panther like creature, in Balinese mythology, and king of spirits.

My first impression was that this was a legacy of practice of animism. Wearing masks is considered very spiritual and belief that god can be found anywhere. Mask act as a medium of passing on messages of gods and ancestral spirits back to this world.

So for Balinese, gods everywhere, a slight difference from what we belive that god is an entity itself and everything we see around is just his creation.

What i felt seeing various statues and artefacts around Bali is that Balinese people deeply followed Mahabarata , Ganesh, Shiva and Vishnu (Garuda).

Like in hindu, sacred water of Ganga and other rivers is used to purify things, as mark of similar symbolism , also sprinkle water (tirtha) over the head to purify minds, drunk to purify speech and sprinkled to purify body.

A very common sight you find at most religious places and functions is a canang sari (bowl made of palm leaf). In it it has, betel leaf symbolizing vishnu, lime - Shiva and gambier- Brahma. Household offer this daily as a mark of self sacrifice owing to the time and effort it requires.

In India, usually a thali (plate) with rices ,tika, prasad is prevalent during religious ceremonies.

When i think of god, instantly a picture gets framed in mind. Good and bad times, we are taught to rely on gods.

But for Bali people god is not just a picture , figure or a statue, but solid belief that everywhere there is god.

I also happened to witness a death ceremony and people in procession were not showing any emotions and carried out normally ,unlike the death rites of other religions, the physical body is not the focus, as it is seen as nothing more than a temporary container of the soul and fit only for expedient disposal. Body is burnt only to free the soul. Mr Kaar told us that the cremation ceremony in Bali is extremely expensive because an elaborate ceremony is a way of showing respect for a soul destined to become a god with considerable powers over those left behind.

Next few days we saw many temples, Taman Ayun Royal Temple, Ulan danu lake temple, Tanah lot.

Unlike our common towering indoor Hindu temples, puras (temple) are designed as an open air place of worship within enclosed walls, connected with a series of decorated gates between its compounds.

Tirta empul , a water temple was good. it is dedicated to lord vishnu and the water considered very spiritual with healing and purifying power.

Best thing, people in Bali love Indian people, they are very cooperative and courteous. Following regulations in places around Bali was not difficult for us, as it is usual in India to practice do's and don'ts while visiting places of religious importance.