Balinese Hindus Celebrate Kuningan Day in Indonesia

Source: blog.baliwww.com
Monday,May 31,2010

BALI, INDONESIA : Balinese Hindus will celebrate a religious day known as Kuningan on Saturday May 22, 2010. This ceremonial occasion falls exactly 10 days after the Galungan rituals and is a time to commemorate ancestral spirits as they return to heaven after dwelling on earth for an extended period.

Worshipers express their gratitude through prayer and offerings to the Gods for the ultimate gift of life. At Kuningan the arched bamboo poles referred to as as penjor, which are erected in front of each Balinese home compound during the religious festivities, are redecorated. White cloth is replaced with yellow cloth at the base of the penjor’s temporary shrine as an indication of prosperity.

Tourism Trumps Devotees in Some Indonesian Temples

Source: www.thejakartapost.com
Saturday,March27,2010

JAKARTA, INDONESIA, : Hindus in Yogyakarta have voiced complaints claiming to face difficulties when praying at ancient temples across the province. Indonesian Hindu Dharma Association Yogyakarta branch chairman Ida Bagus Agung said in many cases Hindus were forced to pay to enter such temples and were occasionally prohibited from praying. He also said many of the temples had been altered to serve the tourism industry.

“[The trouble] is not just in Yogyakarta, but also in East Java and Kalimantan,” Agung said, adding that these temples were as important temples of Balinese Hindus.