Hinduism in Bali

            Imagine being in a place thousands of miles away from India and discovering that nestling among a cluster of 13,466 islands that comprise the Indonesian Archipelago,which is predominantly Muslim, there is this small tropical island that is 92% Hindu, with it's very own version of the Ramayana, religious rituals, beliefs and has close to 20,000 puras (temples), thereby famously known as the "Island of the Gods"-thats Bali for you!Known for its breathtakingly beautiful scenic spots, sea cliffs, volcanic craters, temples, white sand beaches, rice terraces and a for being a veritable hub of tourists from across the globe, Bali is truely fascinating.

         



But isn't it intriguing how Hinduism reached its shores? Or that they worship deities that closely resemble the ones from Mahabharata and Ramayana? Look at this picture of Shiva and Garuda, carved in granite for starters-

Garuda with an attitude...isn't it?














Thats Shiva, or Ciwa, as they like to call him!


                 

Thats the Barong, King of spirits, who fights against the evil forces......quite a spectacle indeed with the mythic creature prancing about it its dramatic avatar.

The mighty Barong....

 

The demon Rangda......

Also take a look at the Kechak Dance, their rendition of the Ramayana, where a group of 60 vocalists perform acapela( producing musical notes from their mouth and throats) in the backdrop of Sita Haran and Lanka Dahan.

Acapela artists-their combined chants for more than an hour was truely mesmerising. Very soulful music indeed!!

Sita haran-indonesian style:)

The super-savior Hanuman......setting Lanka on fire.....

The town square has a huge sculpture of Bhima, as well as a pristine white ensemble of Krishna in his chariot during the battle of Kurukshetra.

Even though so much of it's culture is borrowed from ancient Indian epics and scripture, Bali boasts of a brand of Hinduism that is very distinct and exotic. So for all the ubiquitous Hindu names like Ganesh, Devi and Garuda, we have aspects like their preference for pork to mull about. Also that each time you want to enter a temple premises, they insist on you wearing a sarong, whereas the temples themselves are not active throughtout the year and only come alive on festivals. The temple architecture is quite fascinating though.

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