Hinduism in Indonesia

An ancient religion
Most people on the island of Bali follow the Hindu religion. Hinduism is an Indian religion thousands of years old, and came to Bali over 1,000 years ago.

Balinese gods
The traditional gods of Hinduism are Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu. In addition, Balinese Hindus also worship the spirit Sanghyan Widi as their highest god. Other spirits are worshipped on Bali, such as Dewi Siri, a goddess who looks after their crops so that they have a good harvest.

Balinese places of worship
In Bali, a Hindu temple has a series of courtyards where people take fruit and flowers to offer to the gods (left). In the temple there are no pictures or statues. People wear temple sashes around their waists when they go to the temple. There are priests who read out prayers. Village shrines are built so that they face the mountains and not the sea. Balinese regard mountains as holy and the sea as a place where evil spirits come from.

Reincarnation
Hindus believe in reincarnation - that every soul has more than one life. A person who is not good in this life will have an unpleasant time in their next life. This is called karma, or fate.

Acknowledge this source in your bibliography like this:
A Trip to Indonesia (2001). [Online], Available: www.kidcyber.com.au

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updated 17 February, 2001