The Formation of The Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia: Political and Religious Constellations in Bali

Abstract

The formation of an official religion in Indonesia has the consequence of having an organization that oversees and becomes an extension of that religious community. The struggle to form a state-recognized religious organization is also a projection of how the history of that religion developed and reached the point of being recognized by the state. Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia (PHDI) is a Hindu religious organization which is an integral part of Hindu society. By understanding the formation of PHDI you can also understand how the Hindu community struggled during difficult times, the views of Hindu intellectuals about how to practice religion and their political ideas in the state. The history of PHDI is the history of the people Hinduism in the state in its early days, with this understanding of the local political constellation at that time and the links between emerging national politics became very dynamic.