Bali Religion
Bali Religion. The Balinese religion
have strong spiritual roots , their culture is still
very much alive. The main religion is Hindu Dharma,
which arrived in Bali with the spread of Hinduism through
Sumatra and Java during the 11th century. Although originally
from India, the Balinese religion is a unique blend
of Hindu, Buddhist, Javanese and ancient indigenous
beliefs, with customs that are very different from the
traditional form of Hinduism practiced in India today.
With the arrival of Islam in neighboring
Java during the 15th century, a large member of courtiers,
artists, musicians and craftsmen fled to Bali, creating
an artistic renaissance.
Naturally creative, the Balinese have traditionally
used their talents for religious purposes and most beautiful
work to be seen here has been inspired by stories from
Ramayana and other Hindu epics. The incredibly colorful
cremation pyres and the everyday offerings to the Gods,
placed inside every shop and business, are made with
precision and an eye of beauty.
In Bali spirits come out to play in
the moonlight, every night is a festival and even a
funeral is an opportunity to have a good time.
Welcome at Gunung
Agung
Bali Religion, a peace world...
This sacred mountain is
to the Balinese what Olympus was to the ancient Greeks-the
Cosmic Mountain. The Balinese, who consider this volcano
"the Navel of the World," always sleep with
their heads toward Agung. The mystical Balinese believe
the mountain was raised by the gods as advantage point
to view the unceasing pageant of life below. To them,
it is a central, heavenly point of reference, the geographical
and religious center of the world.
With an elevation of 3,014
meters, the foot of the mountain stretches northeast
right to the sea. To the southeast its slope is blocked
by a line of small extinct volcanoes; to the northwest
Agung is separated from Gunung Batur by a narrow valley.
The gods rest above the mountain summit, and when they
come down to visit the island they reside in Bali's
holiest temple complex, Besakih, six km below the crater.
When the gods are displeased, Agung showers the land
with stone and ruin. Its feathery heights are the source
of life-giving rivers and volcanic ash, which irrigate
and enrich the island's rice fields. The lower portions
of the mountain are heavily forested, and farmed up
to about 1,000 meters.
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