Why Is Bali Known As The Land Of Gods?
While Balinese culture certainly pays respect to a fair number of gods, Balinese people don’t worship as many gods as many other faiths around the world.
However, it’s fair to say that the gods of Bali play an unusually clear part in the local culture and that there are over 20,000 temples here in Bali which might have led people to assume there are more gods here than there actually are.
What Are The Spiritual Beliefs Of Bali?
Bali practices a unique form of Indonesian Hinduism which incorporates Hindu beliefs, many Hindu gods, Buddhist saints and some of the local animist faith too.
This is in stark contrast to the rest of the archipelago which practices Islam.
Who Is The Balinese God Of The Afterlife?
There are two gods of the afterlife in Bali. The goddess Setesuyara and the god Batara Kala.
Between them they created the light and the Earth and their dominion is over all that depart these planes.
Final Thoughts On Gods In Balinese Culture
Balinese culture and the Balinese people are a complex thing to understand and it would take more than a brief article to explain the importance of the gods here on the island.
However, you should now be aware of the most important deities and the part that they play in society here.
Most of all, you can see that by paying respect to the temples and the gods inside them, you’re respecting the Balinese people in turn.
How To Book A Holiday In The Land Of Gods?
We always recommend that you book a holiday in Bali, the Land of Gods, through the Bali Res Centre, this is a locally owned and operated travel service that delivers optimal value for holidaymakers.
They can also make sure that you see the most authentic aspects of Balinese culture while arranging the best hotels and flights for your needs.
The best thing about dealing with the Bali Res Centre is that when you do so, you’re supporting the economy of Bali rather than sending money overseas to a multinational corporation.
There are quite a few different festivals and rites in Bali regarding gods but there are four main ones:
Galungun – celebrating the victor of good actions by the gods over evil
Deepavali – part of the same process as Galungun and the day of ultimate triumph over evil and darkness
Nyepi – the day of silence, when Balinese people use statues called Ogoh Ogoh to trick evil spirits into coming to and then leaving Bali disappointed
Watugunung – a day devoted to the goddess of learning, Saraswati, oddly, believers are not allowed to read on this day
Festival dates change on an annual basis in Bali due to the Balinese calendar having only 210 days.
Who Is The Goddess Of The Sea In Bali?
The Goddess of Water (Sea God) in Bali is Dewi Danu. In the original Balinese traditions, she was one of two supreme deities on the island.
However, in order to accommodate the insistence that all faiths in Bali become monotheistic, she is no longer considered to be one of the supreme deities and, instead, occupies an important position in the pantheon of gods that form the supreme deity.
Are Balinese Hindu Or Buddhist?
Balinese people are Hindus. However, the local version of Hinduism holds the Boddhisatva (the Buddhist saints) in high regard and there are many Buddhist influences in the faith here.
This is the reverse of many other parts of Southeast Asia such as Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia where Buddhism is the dominant faith but Hindu Gods play a large part in the local religious festivals and practices.
Interestingly, both the Hindus of Bali and the Buddhists of other parts of Southeast Asia incorporate ancestor worship into their beliefs.
Ancestor worship was the dominant faith across Southeast Asia and East Asia during ancient times (and indeed, you can find ancestor worship in other cultures across the globe) and if you look carefully you can find evidence of it everywhere – particularly in the “spirit houses” outside of many temples, homes and businesses.
Who Are The Gods Of Bali?
While, officially, there is only one God of Balinese Hinduism and all the other gods are simply manifestations of that one god, you’re more likely to encounter the manifestations than to encounter Ida Sanghyang Widhi Wasa.
Thus the main gods of Bali are the Hindu deities Dewa Brahma, Dewa Vishnu, Dewa Shiva, Dewi Durga, Bhoma, Dewa Ganesha, Dewi Danu, as well as Allah, Buddha, Confucious and Chen Fu Zhen Ren.
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