The Island of Bali is renowned as a beach destination. Because of its geographical location, it has some of the stunning sunsets overlooking its shores. Great Beach Clubs, and endless opportunities for Shopping in Bali, make it one of the favourite holiday places in the world. It’s also a great opportunity to learn about religion in Bali on your Bali tour.The majority of Indonesia is Muslim, but the Religion in Bali is strongly rooted in Balinese Hinduism, representing a distinct form of Hinduism incorporating local animism, ancestor worship, and reverence for Buddhism.
About 87% of Balinese people identify themselves as Hindus and that is about 1.7% of the total Indonesian population. The Balinese religious beliefs center around the concept of Agama Tirtha Dharma, or Holy Water Religion. Most religions of the world use water and fire as purifying elements. Water cleans, soothes, and fertilises, while fire heats, destroys, and hence cleans too. An important belief of Balinese Hinduism is that every element in nature is influenced by spirit. Worshipping their ancestors and the lands that they have inherited, the Balinese follow a rich culture that merges traditions, wisdom, nature, and aesthetics.
Balinese Hinduism is based on the Indian trinity concept called Trimurti meaning Three Supremes or Gods consisting of:- Brahma
- Wisnu or Vishnu
- Siwa or Shiva
In the local language, some Gods are also called Sang Hyang Embang or Sang Hyang Parama Kawi. The major religion in Bali also sees a lot of worship to nature Gods such as Dewi, the rice Goddess, and Saraswati, the water Goddess, as well as mountain and river Gods which are part of their ancient tradition.
Temples in Bali serve as a medium for this connection between Gods and the spiritual realm with humans(bhuwa) and allows tourists to witness the cultural side of Bali at its best.
One of the key rituals of Bali’s main religion, Hinduism is the daily offerings to spirits and ancestors.
According to the religion in Balinese culture, people believe in dharma, which means one’s life path or one’s duty. If followed, life is in order and harmony, whereas when it is not followed, it creates an imbalance. The opposite of dharma then is adharma, which brings disorientation and chaos.
The Balinese always strive to maintain a balance between these two aspects of their life. They offer daily offerings in the temples and shrines for the lower spirits and Gods alike, as they clearly understand that both forces are part of their existence and can appear in diverse experiences.
By transcending the notion of good or bad, the Balinese people strive to find harmony and balance in every situation and ultimately emotional freedom, that is moksha meaning liberation from external circumstances and the endless cycle of birth and death, that is samsara( World).
Suggested Read: Pura Tirta Empul In Bali
