RELIGION AND PUBLIC SPHERE REVISITING BALINESE RELIGIOUS TRADITION IN THE ISLAND OF THOUSAND MOSQUES

Abstract

Indonesian government recognizes six official religions: Islam, Christianity, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. This diverse recognition is evident from the way the Indonesian government establishes national holidays based on important religious ceremonies, events and celebrations. The Indonesians’ multi-religious atmosphere is emphasized further by official recognition of  three kinds of new year as public holidays .ie: i) Islamic New Year, falling on the first of Hijri, ii) the Hindu-Balinese New Year of Caka, iii) New year in the Gregorian calendar (Tahun Baru Masehi). The 1945 constitution provides further legitimate recognition over Indonesians’ religious diversities as stipulated in its article number 29, stating: “the state guarantees all persons the freedom of worship, each according to his/her own religion or belief. As far as diversity is concerned, this article focuses on the inter-religious relationship in a ritual setting. It looks more specifically at  Hindu Balinese’ ritual procession,  Ogoh-Ogoh display, held a day before Nyepi in the midst of Muslim spectators in Lombok.This ritual procession raises important findings: i) that religious expression of a certain group requires the extension of its values boundary beyond its own membership, and demands the tolerance upon others, ii) confronted with external stimulation, a religious group may show persistence and partial tolerance in different contextual settings, iii) the importance of inclusive public sphere for strengthening religious identity. Here public sphere comprises of Hindu-Balinese as the main ritual players, Sasak Muslims as the major spectators, and the main roads of Mataram city where a set of ritual conduct is demonstrated.