Bali - Enchanting Land of Hinduism
Wow, "Arujn", said my son the moment he saw a massive white sculpture on a roundabout in Bali; visited for fun, frolic & water, like most of us Indians do. Driver of the vehicle, one Mr Moyo, a kind hearted person, very calmly corrected;
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Wow, "Arujn", said my son the moment he saw a massive white sculpture on a roundabout in Bali; visited for fun, frolic & water, like most of us Indians do. Driver of the vehicle, one Mr Moyo, a kind hearted person, very calmly corrected;
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"Son, that's Ghatotkach!"
It started our journey to learn from people who follow the religion far more ardently than us. Their knowledge of Hinduism & civilization is far better than the average level we possess.
It took me sometime to introduce Ghatotkacha to my son who
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It started our journey to learn from people who follow the religion far more ardently than us. Their knowledge of Hinduism & civilization is far better than the average level we possess.
It took me sometime to introduce Ghatotkacha to my son who
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, all thanks to our inherent indifference, many of us wouldn't know beyond the 5 brothers, Draupadi & Lord Krishna from Mahabharata. So we quickly recited all the names, all to hide our embarrassment, coming from the original land of Hindutva, of Ramayan & Mahabharata,
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of Ram & Arjun, of thousands of Gods & Goddesses.
Average Indian following the majority religion, might acknowledge that knowledge of Hinduism has been this strong thanks to Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan & Mahabharat by B.R.Chopra. It’s absolutely fine, we don’t teach formally
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Average Indian following the majority religion, might acknowledge that knowledge of Hinduism has been this strong thanks to Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan & Mahabharat by B.R.Chopra. It’s absolutely fine, we don’t teach formally
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in any case, it’s not considered necessary.
Almost every home in Bali (more than 87% Hindus) has a place, similar to one found in an old house, to light a diya, which they follow quite religiously.
Lord Ganesha can be seen present in each and every household.
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Almost every home in Bali (more than 87% Hindus) has a place, similar to one found in an old house, to light a diya, which they follow quite religiously.
Lord Ganesha can be seen present in each and every household.
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Nowhere in the world, would you see art, sculptures and so many stone carved idols of Ganesha.
If Lord Ganesha is the favourite God, Mahabharata is the way of life for Balinese people. A beach is named after Pandavas (Pantai Pandava) with their idols carved in hills,
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If Lord Ganesha is the favourite God, Mahabharata is the way of life for Balinese people. A beach is named after Pandavas (Pantai Pandava) with their idols carved in hills,
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the massive Garuda structure and also the world tallest Vishnu installation.
Temples are everywhere & the big ones like Uluwatu is a must visit place, especially to be enthralled by Chaka Dance, which enacts Ramayana when Hanuman visits Lanka to visit Goddess Sita.
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Temples are everywhere & the big ones like Uluwatu is a must visit place, especially to be enthralled by Chaka Dance, which enacts Ramayana when Hanuman visits Lanka to visit Goddess Sita.
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Elephants & Monkeys have a sacred place in Balinese culture and temples / gardens dedicated to them are maintained very well. Many of the words are from Hindi & Sankrit, can be correlated easily, Gajguha is essentially Gaja (elephant) & Gufa (cave), indicating their roots.
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Balinese also have varna vyavastha similar to ours.
For a week, I kept discussing with him or learning from him, aspects of life, the importance of accepting things the way they are, and how it has also been explained in Gita, most importantly from his & their perspective.
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For a week, I kept discussing with him or learning from him, aspects of life, the importance of accepting things the way they are, and how it has also been explained in Gita, most importantly from his & their perspective.
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At the end of our visit, we thanked him for his knowledge & wisdom that he shared with us, especially on Hinduism.
Mr Moyo complimented back saying, “You are perhaps the first Indian who has quietly listened to me and has even acknowledged what we are trying to preserve;
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Mr Moyo complimented back saying, “You are perhaps the first Indian who has quietly listened to me and has even acknowledged what we are trying to preserve;
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most dismiss me on first given opportunity"
Takes me back to the same question on our failure to acknowledge our rich history, heritage & past, not sharing this knowledge with our generation. We are allowing our civilization to fade away and emerge as a khichdi culture !
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Takes me back to the same question on our failure to acknowledge our rich history, heritage & past, not sharing this knowledge with our generation. We are allowing our civilization to fade away and emerge as a khichdi culture !
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Hinduism has been a way of life, for centuries. It was praiseworthy that Mr Moyo pehpas had more knowledge than me, but I needed an introspection.
Next time, you want to go on a family holiday, visit Bali, rediscover your roots in a foreign land, beyond pristine beaches.
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Next time, you want to go on a family holiday, visit Bali, rediscover your roots in a foreign land, beyond pristine beaches.
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Introduce your family to Hinduism, that reached far away shores, centuries ago and still followed in purer form.
(Picture - Saraswati Temple in, Ubud Bali) 🙏🙏
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(Picture - Saraswati Temple in, Ubud Bali) 🙏🙏
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