Since prehistoric times, Bali has
been a destination for the search and practice
of those who want to strengthen their spirituality. It is written that Rsi Markandeya was the first spiritual
leader who came from Java to follow his path in Bali. His process in search of
spiritual purity and balance with nature led to the establishment of the centre
for Balinese Hinduism on the south slope of Gunung
Agung, which is now called the Pura
Agung Besakih. Pura Basukian is believed as the first location established
by Rsi Markandeya and his followers
as land for evoking spiritual values.
Following this, order for
spiritual life with government arose simultaneously in Bali. It is written in
old literature that the dynasty of Warmadewa
was very supportive of the religious life alongside culture and custom of the
place, that they even invited spiritual figures from the land of Java. The arrival
of Empu Kuturan around the eleventh
century was able standardize the order within the life of the locals, with
those of Javanese Hinduism. The order within the traditional village with the
concept of Perhyangan as the
personification of God in his Function as the Tri Murti, was an effort to integrate local and Hindu.
After this, a leader of the Hindu
religion came from Java. The integration of the archipelago by Majapahit was a peak in the process of
acculturation. From this time onwards, the people of Bali carry out their daily
activities with its unique lifestyle, religion, art and culture. This uniqueness
came to the attention of a Dutchman named Cornelis
de Houtman, who journeyed to Indonesia in search of Spices. The fertile
land, the farming activities, and the uniqueness of the culture within the
daily life of the population became an object of great interest to de Houtman’s expedition.
If Indonesia came to be known for
this produce of spices, Bali came to be known to the world from a cultural
point of view. The colonization of Indonesia by the Netherlands, from around 17th
to the 18th century, did not put much emphasis on the religious and
cultural life on Bali. Earlier, Hinduism in Bali reached a peak when the centre
of the kingdom in Bali had been established in Gelgel, and was later moved to Smarapura
(present –day Klungkung). Following the
fall of the Klungkung palace in the
battle of Puputan Klungkung, which occurred
in 1908, Bali became a Dutch Colony at the beginning of the twentieth century.
source: Bali in Brief, Bali Government Tourims Office, 2005
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