Balinese Hinduism

Balinese Hinduism (Balinese: ᬳᬶᬦ᭄ᬤᬸᬩᬮᬶ; Indonesian: Hindu Bali or Agama Hindu Dharma) is a distinct form of Hinduism practised primarily on the island of Bali, Indonesia. It developed through a long process of religious syncretism, combining indigenous Balinese beliefs with Hindu traditions that spread through the Indonesian archipelago from the early centuries CE. Rather than representing a direct continuation of Indian Hinduism, Balinese Hinduism constitutes a locally evolved religious system shaped by ritual practice, communal organisation, and sacred geography.

Balinese Hinduism is the majority religion in the province of Bali, where approximately 86–87% of the population identify as Hindu, amounting to around 3.8 million adherents on the island. Hinduism as practised in Bali accounts for the largest concentration of Hindus in Indonesia, a country where Hindus constitute about 1.7% of the total population.

Balinese Hinduism emphasises ritual practice (orthopraxy) over doctrinal authority, communal religious obligation, ancestor veneration, and the maintenance of balance between the visible (sekala) and invisible (niskala) worlds. While it incorporates Hindu philosophical concepts such as dharma, karma, punarjanman, and moksha, these are interpreted through Balinese cosmology and social structures. The religion also reflects historical syncretism with Buddhist and indigenous animist and ancestral worship traditions.

In the modern period, Balinese Hinduism has been institutionally defined to meet Indonesian state requirements for religious recognition, including the articulation of a supreme divine principle, Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa. As such, Balinese Hinduism has been formally recognized by the Indonesian Government as one of the official religions practised in the country. Despite these formal adaptations, Balinese Hinduism remains deeply rooted in temple-based worship, ritual cycles, and village institutions, and continues to play a central role in Balinese cultural and social life.