Monday, August 6, 2012

Hindu Resurgence in Indonesia



Hinduism and Hindu Resurgence in Indonesia


Hinduism in South East Asia – Great Ancestry
Hinduism in Southeast Asia gave birth to the several empires and civilizations like former Champa civilization in southern parts of Central Vietnam, Funan Empire in Cambodia, the Khmer Empire in Indochina, Langkasuka Kingdom, Gangga Negara and Old Kedah kingdoms in Malay Peninsula, the Sri Vijayan kingdom on Sumatra, the Singhasari kingdom and the Majapahit Empire based in Java, Bali, and the Philippine archipelago. The civilization of India influenced the languages, scripts, calendars, and artistic aspects of these peoples and nations. Hinduism arrived in South East Asia in the first century and played an active role for 1600 years. Unfortunately Indians who should be legitimately proud of this glorious chapter in world history are clearly oblivious of it. What great ancestors of what scale and stature! and such poor and piteous descendants!!

Prominent Hindus like Dr Raghu Vira, Dr Satyavrat Shastri, Dr Amarjiva Lochan,
Dr S.M.Ponniah, Dr Lokeshchandra, Dadasaheb Apte, Laxmanrao Bhide, Lallan Prasad Vyas, Dr Shankar Tatwawadi and Rajesh Mudholkar
have visited South East Asia several times for the purpose of exploring and explaining Hinduism in these places.


Non-Indian Hindus of Indonesia
18 million (1 crore and 80 lacs) people practicing Hinduism in Indonesia as on 2007 (according to Parisada Hindu Dharma) are the largest non-Indian ethnic Hindus in the world. Non Indian Hindus in smaller numbers also live in South East Asian countries like Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia (Malacca Chetties). Continuously increasing number of ISKCON devotees are also non-Indian Hindus.

Indonesian Hindus form the fourth largest Hindu populated country in the world after Bharat (India), Nepal (2.5 Crores) and Bangladesh (1.2 crores). Pakistan with 70 lacs and Sri Lanka with 15 lacs are also home to large Hindus.
Majority of the Indonesian Hindus are located in Bali Island. Java, Sumatra, Lombok, Kalimantan and Sulawesi islands also have significant Hindu populations. Central Kalimantan has a 15.8% Hindu population. In recent times several lacs of Javanese have embraced Hinduism.

14 million Romanies or Gypsies of Europe cannot be truly considered as non-Indians since they have an Indian origin. Their nomadic ancestors migrated from Rajasthan and Sind during the periods of Islamic invasion starting from Mohammed Gazini in 1001 CE (Common Era). These artistic, mild and peace-loving people were religiously and ethnically persecuted, hunted, humiliated, targeted and sent to Nazi gas chambers throughout history. Yet they have contributed enormously to the knowledge and culture of Europe. Thousands of health volunteers and mid-wives were tortured and killed during inquisition periods in Europe.
Nobel laureate Dr. August Krogh (of Denmark for medicine in 1920), Brazilian Presidents Washington Luís (1926-30) and Juscelino Kubitschek (1956-61), actors Sir Charles Chaplin, Sir Michael Caine, Yul Brynner, singer Elvis Presley, several Olympic medal winners and Mother Teresa have been gypsies of Indian origin.


Antiquity
Hinduism and Buddhism arrived in the Indonesian archipelago in the first century. This resulted in a number of Hinduism-Buddhism empires such as Kutai, Mataram and Majapahit. The greatest Hindu empire in the Indonesia was Majapahit. The age of Hindu-Buddhist empires lasted until the sixteenth century, when the archipelago's Islamic empires began to expand. This period, known as the Hindu-Indonesia period, lasted for sixteen centuries. The influence of Hinduism and classical India remain defining traits of Indonesian culture; the Indian concept of the god-king still shapes Indonesian concepts of leadership and Sanskrit is used in courtly literature and adaptations of Indian epic poetry.


The Prambanan Temple complex was built during the era of Hindu Mataram in the 9th century in central Java near Yogyakarta. It is dedicated to the Trimurti, the expression of God as the Creator   (Brahma), the Sustainer (Vishnu) and the Destroyer (Shiva). Originally there were 240 temples in this temple compound. The temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia, and is one of the largest Hindu temples in Southeast Asia. It is characterized by its tall and pointed architecture, typical of Hindu temple architecture, and by the towering 47-metre-high (154 ft) central building inside a large complex of individual temples. One of the most majestic temples in Southeast Asia, Prambanan attracts many visitors from across the world.

Borobudur, or Barabudur is another 9th-century monument built in the reign of Shailendra Dynasty, It is also located in Central Java near Yogyakarta. 


It is a Mahayana Buddhist monument. The monument consists of six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. A main dome, located at the center of the top platform, is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues seated inside a perforated stupa. The monument is both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage. once a year Buddhists in Indonesia celebrate Vesak at the monument, and Borobudur is Indonesia's single most visited tourist attraction. The monument is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Religious Beliefs
Hinduism in Indonesia is conspicuously different from India as they never applied the Indian caste system rigidly.


Jamu or Indonesian Ayurveda
Jamu is traditional medicine in Indonesia. It is heavily influenced by Ayurveda from India. It is predominantly herbal medicine made from natural materials, such as parts of plants such as roots, leaves and bark, and fruit. There is also material from the bodies of animals,  such as bile of goat or alligator used.
In many large cities jamu herbal medicine is sold on the street by hawkers carry a refreshing drink, usually bitter but sweetened with honey. Herbal medicine is also produced in factories by large companies such as Air Mancur, Nyonya Meneer or Djamu Djago, and sold at various drug stores in sachet packaging. Nowadays herbal medicine is also sold in the form of tablets, caplets and capsules.



Hindu Resurgence in Indonesia
For 1600 years from 1st century CE onwards, Indonesia was predominantly a Hindu country. Muslims from Arabia, Kerala and Gujarat slowly converted them to Islam in the last 5 centuries. Today Indonesia is the world’s largest Muslim country. It is still a wonder that over 6 million Hindus of Bali and Java islands have withstood the onslaught of conversions for the past 400 years without much help from Bharat.
In recent years, the resurgence of Hinduism in Indonesia is occurring in all parts of the country. In the early seventies, the Toraja people of Sulawesi were the first to be identified under the umbrella of 'Hinduism', followed by the Karo Batak of Sumatra in 1977 and the Ngaju Dayak of Kalimantan in 1980. In a report in 1999, the National Indonesian Bureau of Statistics admitted that around 100,000 Javanese had officially converted or 'reconverted' from Islam to Hinduism over the previous two decades. There are several reasons for their reconversion. The Ministry of Religious Affairs, as of 2007 estimates there to be at least 10 million (1 crore) Hindus in Indonesia. (18 million or 1 crore 80 lacs according to Parisada Hindu Dharma, Indonesia).

Reasons for Hindu Resurgence
1.    Similarities with Indigenous Belief Systems
 The Indonesian government has recognized Hinduism as one of the country's six officially sanctioned monotheistic religions, along with Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism and Confucianism. However the government do not recognize indigenous tribal belief systems as official religion. As a result, followers of various native animistic and tribal religions (such as Dayak Kaharingan, Sundanese Sunda Wiwitan, Torajan Aluk To Dolo, and Batak Malim) have identified themselves as Hindus in order to survive and avoid pressure to convert to Islam or Christianity.

2.    Inspirations from Hindu Majapahit Empire
I ndonesian nationalists have laid great stress on the achievements of the Majapahit Empire, a Hindu state that ruled most parts of Indonesia upto 16th century. This has helped attract many Indonesians to Hinduism. An example of resurgence around major archaeological remains of ancient Hindu temple sites was observed in Trowulan near Mojokerto, the capital of the legendary Hindu empire Majapahit. 


Trowulan Archeological Site, Mojokerto


A local Hindu movement is struggling to gain control of a newly excavated temple building which they wish to see restored as a site of active Hindu worship. The temple is to be dedicated to Gajah Mada, the man attributed with transforming the small Hindu kingdom of Majapahit into an empire.
Gajah Mada


3.    Influence of Ramayana, Mahabharata and Sanskrit Language
The wayang puppet performance as well as wayang wong dance and other Javanese classical dances are derived from episodes of Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. Although the majority of Javanese now identify as Muslim, they still practice these art forms. Hinduism has survived in varying degrees and forms on Java.



Shri. Sudarshan, who is an Indonesian Muslim and director of the Art department, once explained: “Here in Indonesia, it is our custom to inscribe a verse of Mahabharat or Ramayana in the Javanese language on the tombstone when someone dies. Though we are Muslims, we deeply adore Ram and Krishna”. At the famous 10th Century Prambanan temple in central Java, dedicated to Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, the Ramayana is depicted in bas-relief in several parts. The sultan of Jogjakarta supports the daily performance of a leather puppet show of either Ramayana or Mahabharata in his Palace annexure. 

He also subsidizes the world’s only daily performance of a dance ballet based on Ramayana, performed with the Prambanan towers as its backdrop. The highlight of the extraordinary show is that all the two hundred artistes are Muslims. When the leading actors were asked how they perform Ramayana with such passionate involvement, the spontaneous reply was, “Islam is our religion. Ramayana is our culture.”

One of the most important landmarks of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, is a gigantic modern sculpture, an extraordinary work of art of Krishna and Arjuna in the chariot with their horses almost flying. Garuda is the national insignia of Indonesia. Their national air carrier is Garuda Airlines.
The Southeast Asian Games in 1997 used Sri Hanuman as its mascot. 
He is a popular figure or diety in all these countries. Hanuman or Hanumat or Aanjaneya or Anjata or Maruti is known by different names in these countries: Hanoman in Balinese, Anoman and Senggana in Javanese, Haliman in Karbi, Anjat or Anujit in Khmer, Hanmone(e), Hulahman, Hunahman, Huonahman, Huorahman in Lao, Haduman, Hanuman Kera Putih, Kera Kechil Imam Tergangga, Pahlawan Udara, Shah Numan in Malay, Laksamana (yes, and Laxman is known as Mangawarna) in Maranao, Hanumant in Sinhalese, Anuman in Tamil, Anchat or Wanon in Thai and Hanumandha or Hanumanta in Tibetan.
Many Hindu-Buddhist mythical beings have made their way into Javanese and Balinese mythology, such as numbers of Hindu gods and heroes, devatas, asuras, apsaras, kinnaras, etc

Mr Gus Dur Abdul Rehman Wahid, the former President of Indonesia, who was requested to attend the consecration of an ancient mosque in Surabaya City in the island of Java asked the organizers to arrange for a Hindu pundit from India to perform the Vigneswara Pooja before the Quran could be recited by the Islamic priest. A Hindu Tantrik priest was flown in from Kerala exclusively for the purpose and Mr Wahid sat through the Hindu ceremony.
Sukarno, the late Indonesian president, was named after Karna, the legendary hero of Mahabharata. Sukarno's father used to read Koran on Fridays and Ramayana and Mahabharat on other 6 days. Karna was his favourite character in Mahabharat. He wanted his son to be as brave and philanthropic as Karna. He also wanted his son to be on the right side of Dharma or Righteousness which made him name his son as “SuKarno” meaning a honourable or virtuous Karna.

The name of his daughter, “Sukarnoputri Meghawati” is yet another indication of the influence of Sanskrit in Indonesia. Meghawati is the Sanaskrit word for "full of clouds". Sukarnoputri is yet another Sanskrit word meaning Sukarno's daughter.
 She was the president of Indonesia from 2001 to 2004. The name of the present President of Indonesia is another proof of the country's link with Sanskrit and Indian heritage. The name Susilo Yudhoyono speaks lot about the individual's personality. We in India may hold our breath when we are told that one of the prominent politicians in Indonesia is named Karthikeya Mohammed.

Late Swami Ranganathanandaji, in his book "Eternal Values For a Changing Society", has mentioned about a discussion he had with Sukarno during his visit to Indonesia in 1964. "Though the President agreed to meet me for just 20 minutes, our discussion went on for more than an hour. Sukarno told me that every night he reads at least two pages from the collected volumes of Swami Vivekananda before going to bed,"



In the nineties most Asian countries went through a severe financial crisis. Indonesia was the most affected country. World experts gave many suggestions to arrest the downward slump of Indonesian rupiah with respect to US dollar. Finally Indonesian government printed new 20,000 Rupiah notes with the picture of Lord Ganesha (Indian God for removing obstacles) and it was observed that the depression had ceased.



4.    Hindu Temples or Puras and Religious Sites
The new Hindu communities in Java tend to be concentrated around recently built temples (pura) or around archaeological temple sites (candi) which are being reclaimed as places of Hindu worship. An important new Hindu temple in eastern Java is Pura Mandaragiri Sumeru Agung, located on the slope of Mt. Semeru, Java's highest mountain.
Pura Mandaragiri Sumeru Agung

Mass conversions have also occurred in the region around Pura Agung Blambangan, another new temple, built on a site with minor archaeological remnants attributed to the kingdom of Blambangan, the last Hindu polity on Java, and Pura Loka Moksa Jayabaya, where the Hindu king and prophet Jayabaya is said to have achieved spiritual liberation (moksa).
Pura Agung Blambangan

Another site is the new Pura Pucak Raung in East Java, which is mentioned in Balinese literature as the place from where Maharishi Markandeya took Hinduism to Bali in the 5th century AD.
Although there has been a more pronounced history of resistance to Islamization in East Java, Hindu communities are also expanding in Central Java near the ancient Hindu monuments of Prambanan.

An ancient 9th century Hindu temple was accidentally discovered on 11 December 2009 during land excavations to lay foundations for the construction of a new university library. It is located within the premises of Universitas Islam Indonesia (Indonesia Islamic University or UII), Yogyakarta, Central Java, Indonesia. The discovery drew public attention and sparked excitement and curiosity. This temple called Pustakasala or Kimpulan temple, was buried about five metres underground. Excavations reveal square stone walls and statues of Ganesha, Nandi and Shiva Lingam.
Pustakasala or Kimpulan Temple


Certain ethnic groups, such as the Tenggerese and Osing, are also associated with Hindu religious traditions. Many recently built Hindu temples (pura) have also helped in mass conversion of local populace.

5.    Prophesies of Sabda-Palon and Jayabaya
Prophesies of Sabdapalon and Jayabaya and their acceptance among Indonesians Is another reason for mass conversions to Hinduism.
Sabda-Palon is said to have been a priest and an adviser to Brawijaya V, the last ruler of the Hindu empire Majapahit. He is also said to have cursed his king upon the conversion of the latter to Islam in 1478. Sabdapalon then promised to return, after 500 years and at a time of widespread political corruption and natural disasters, to sweep Islam from the island and restore Hindu-Javanese religion and civilization.
Some of the first new Hindu temples built in Java were indeed completed around 1978, for example Pura Blambangan in the regency of Banyuwangi. As the prophesies foretold, Mt Sumeru erupted around the same time. The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami killed over 220,000 Indonesians. The May 2006 Java earthquake in the Indian Ocean around 25 km south-southwest of the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta, caused 5,782 deaths, while 36,299 people were injured, 135,000 houses damaged, and an estimated 1.5 million left homeless. The July 2006 Java earthquake, off the southwestern coast of Java, Indonesia claimed approximately 668 lives; 65 were missing and 9,299 were treated according to the Ministry of Health (MOH). 
All this is taken as evidence of the accuracy of Sabdapalon's predictions and have helped in Hindu revival
A further prophesy, well-known throughout Java and Indonesia, is the Ramalan Jayabaya. A recent publication on these prophesies by Soesetro & Arief (1999) has become a national best seller. The predictions of Jayabaya are also discussed frequently in daily newspapers. These ancient prophesies, indeed, are very much a part of a current public debate on the ideal shape of a new and genuinely democratic Indonesia.
The historical personage Sri Mapanji Jayabaya reigned over the kingdom of Kediri in East Java from 1135 to 1157 AD. He is known for his efforts to reunify Java after a split had occurred with the death of his predecessor Airlangga, for his just and prosperous rule, and for his dedication to the welfare of the common people.
Many believe that the time for the arrival of a new ratu adil is near (as the prophesies put it, "when iron wagons drive without horses and ships sail through the sky [i.e. cars and airplanes]"), and that he will come to rescue and reunite Indonesia after an acute crisis, ushering in the dawn of a new golden age. Many are therefore, returning to their ancestral religion of Hinduism to escape the catastrophes.
As a result of this renaissance, the Hindu population of Java is more than that of Bali and now the largest in Indonesia.

Hinduism in other Parts of Indonesia
Many sects in the islands of Lombok and Sulawesi, the Dayaks of Kalimantan Tengah and the Bataks of Sumetra follow a mixture of Hinduism, Buddhism and animism. The Tamils of Sumetra and the Indians in Jakarta follow Indian Hinduism. 




Glorious Hinduism in Bali Island
4 million (40 lacs) Hindus in Bali (an island in Indonesia) are a class by themselves. They form 93% of the island population.  With an estimated 20,000 puras (temples) and shrines, Bali is known as the "Island of a Thousand Puras", or "Island of the Gods". Each temple is more beautiful than the other. Most Balinese temples have stone throne for the Gods when they come down to earth.





Bali is heavily Hindu influenced; probably even more than any place in India is. Massive and extremely artistic statues adorn the Bali streets. One is astonished to see large statues of Ghatotkaja – Karna war, Bhima serpent fight in the river bed and Arjuna in action.   




Garuda Vishnu Statue – World’s Tallest Statue & the Commercial Complex




Garuda Wisnu Kencana is a massive, unfinished statue in Bali that currently exists in pieces. Conceptualized by the Balinese artist Nyoman Nuarta, the statue (if completed) would depict the Hindu god Vishnu (or Dewa Wisnu, as he is known by the Balinese) riding aloft on his winged mount Garuda.
Once completed, the statue will rise 479 feet above the ground, taking first place in the world's tallest-statues contest (compare it to the Statue of Liberty which stands 151 feet). When completed, the statue will use up about 4,000 tons of brass and copper.
Even in its uncompleted state, what does exist is a breathtaking insight into Balinese culture. Not just the folklore that Balinese religion lives by, but also the artistic and cultural push-and-pulls that make Garuda Wisnu Kencana such an ambitious undertaking.
Even in its present half-complete state, Garuda Wisnu Cenkana attracts up to 2,000 to 3,000 visitors every day.

No Rigid Caste System
Hinduism in Indonesia takes on a tone distinct from India and other parts of the world. For instance, Hinduism in Indonesia, formally referred as Agama Hindu Dharma, never applied the Indian caste system rigidly. Bali Hindus follow what Lord Krishna proclaimed in Bhagwad Gita chap 4.13 “ Chaturvarnyam maya shrishtam guna Karma Vibhagashah” (the four divisions of human society were created by me according to the modes of material nature and the work associated with them). Bali Hindus practice this pristine form of Hindutva.
When I visited Bali in 1986, Dr Ida Bagus Oka Puniatmadja, Member Parliament was my host. He once told me that being a University professor he was still a Bali Hindu Brahmin but his elder brother who recently had changed his profession from a school teacher to a restaurant owner, had become a Vaishya.

Shudras to the fore in Besaki Pura
Besakih Pura in Bali is the chief Hindu temple of Indonesia. There I could recognise the Brahmin priest by his long shikha (tuft) and his white dhoti dress code. I saw him entering the temple inner precinct only upto one point. But the person besides him was able to go further inside. Dr Punyatmadja told me that the other person belonged to shudra caste, employed by the temple for the upkeep of the pura or temple. In Bali only a shudra had access to inner sanctum sanctorum. He further showed me a list of 50 persons belonging to various castes who would like to convert to shudra caste in order to take this sacred job of temple upkeep. Shudra Rishis like Valmiki,  Ved Vyas, Matang and Vidur would feel proud of Bali Hindu society.




Very Low Crime Rate
http://indahnesia.com/indonesia/BASHAS/hassles.php
Bali is one of the world's least policed territories and violent crimes are practically unheard of. Singapore, with about the same population, has five times the crime and five times the police. The secret to the low crime rate is the stabilizing influence of their belief in Karma Theory (Cause and Effect which says that all our acts both good and bad will come back to us) and the banjar (village council). Most crimes in Bali are committed by non-Hindus from Java or Lombok.
In 1986 I was in Bali to attend a Hindu Conference organised by Parisada Hindu Dharma, Indonesia. Hindu delegates had arrived from various islands of Indonesia and were staying in the hostel of Bali Hindu University. The bell rang at 8.00 am to signify that the breakfast and tea was ready and after that we should move to the conference hall for the inauguration. As I was sipping my tea, one of the delegates approached me and told emphatically, I was in this Bali Island for the first time. I smelled he has caught me doing something inappropriate and so asked what mistake I had committed. He said I have closed my room. I agreed saying I did this for the sake of safety and security of my passport, camera, tape recorder etc. He said, “all the delegates staying in this hostel have come from far off places and they all have their valuables. But just look if anyone has closed his room”. I turned around and saw that none had closed their rooms. “This is Bali. Theft or crime is unheard of here” he said with pride. He further added that “the Dutch Europeans who ruled Bali for over a century did not find any robbery or misdeeds taking place”. Hence in Bali, the police, lawyers and jailors do not have much work unless a foreign visitor commits a crime.  

Bali Hindu Culture











Balinese Hinduism is deeply interwoven with art, ritual and a myriad of local and ancestral spirits. Balinese place great emphasis on dramatic and aesthetically satisfying acts of ritual propitiation of these spirits at temple sites scattered throughout villages and in the countryside. Statues of characters from Ramayan, Mahabharat and Puranas are seen more in Bali and Indonesia than in Bharat. 
The Balinese temple is called Pura.  The Balinese temple has intricately decorated gates. Rituals of the life cycle are also important occasions for religious expression and artistic display. Ceremonies at puberty, marriage and most notably, cremation at death provide opportunities for Balinese to communicate their ideas about community and the afterlife.
Balinese Hinduism also holds to the concept of Tri Hita Karana, nurturing and maintaining a harmonious relationship between human and human, human and nature, human and God. In Bharat these may be called respectively as Samashti, Srushti and Parameshti. The sacred texts found in Agama Hindu Dharma are the Vedas. They are the basis of Balinese Hinduism. Other sources of religious information include the Puranas and the Itihasa (mainly Ramayana and the Mahabharata).
One of Hinduism's primary ethical concerns is the concept of ritual purity. Another important distinguishing feature, which traditionally helps maintain ritual purity, is the division of society into the traditional occupational groups, or varna of Hinduism: Brahmins (priests, brahmana in Indonesian), Kshatriya (ruler-warriors, satriya or "Deva" in Indonesian), Vaishya (merchants-farmers, waisya in Indonesian), and Shudra (commoners-servants, sudra in Indonesian). The caste system, although present in form, was never rigidly applied. The epics Mahabharata (Great Battle of the Descendants of Bharata) and Ramayana (The Travels of Rama), became enduring traditions among Indonesian believers, expressed in shadow puppet (wayang) and dance performances. Thus Hinduism was greatly modified when adapted to Indonesian society.

Hindu Festivals of Bali





Hari Raya Galungan,
This is the most important holiday symbolizing the victory of Virtue (Dharma) upon Evil (Adharma). The holiday is specialized by the fitting of 'penjor', a tall bamboo pole splendidly decorated with woven young coconut leaves, fruit, cakes and flowers, on the right side of every house entrance. People are attired in their finest clothes and jewels this day.




Hari Raya Nyepi Tahun Baru Saka
Balinese New Year - the day of total silence throughout the island. No activity, no traffic at all on the roads, no fire may be lit for 24 hours. Great purification and sacrificial rites are held the day before so as to exorcize evil spirits from every corner of the island.


Hari Raya Siwaratri
Hindus carry out activities that lead to self-purification business, making the presence of mind to Sang Hyang Shiva, in an effort to create awareness of self.



Hari Raya Saraswati
Books of knowledge, manuscripts and the Vedas are blessed and special offerings are made for them.

Krishna Arjuna Chariot statue in Jakarta

Krishna - Arjuna chariot statue and fountain in Central Jakarta.
Krishna - Arjuna chariot statue and fountain in Central Jakarta. In the background is Bank Indonesia Towers. The statue depicts a scene from Mahabharata epic; Krishna riding the chariot with Arjuna holding a bow and arrow, the chariot is being pulled by eleven divine horses.