In Memory of Bali Yatra 1,000s of Years Ago and Revitalizing Indonesia—India Relations

We give high appreciation to the opinion conveyed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Bali as a participant in the G20 Summit.

 

The close historical relations between India and Indonesia have been going on for a long time. The Bali Yatra event which took place in Odhisa India commemorated the pilgrimage of Rishi Markandeya to the Archipelago.

 

Rishi Markandeya has had a great service in disseminating Hinduism in the Archipelago, especially in Bali. No less than Ida Bagus Oka Puniatmaja as the Deputy Chairperson of Hindu Dharma Council of Indonesia (PHDI), the author of many Hinduism books, argued that Rishi Markandeya is a prophet for Indonesian Hindus. Many parties agree with his opinion, including the author of this article.

 

The challenge ahead, based on this belief, is an in-depth research regarding the pilgrimage carried out by the Rishi when setting foot on the Land of Java, Mount Dieng and then walking to the east of Mount Raung to crossing to the Land of Bali.

 

Prime Minister Modi was right in saying that Ramayana is a clear proof of the cultural ties between the two countries. Massive translations of the works of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata from Sanskrit into Kawi (Old Javanese) during the era of the Javanese King Dharmawangsa Teguh, a king who was a descendant of King Erlangga, made Smerti the ethical guide for the life of the people.

 

In Bali, especially after the Proclamation of the Independence on August 17, 1945, a number of devotees of the Ramayana and Mahabharata appeared in numbers.

 

It is said that the poets who continued to disseminate the wisdom of the Ramayana and Mahabharata literature in a word of mouth, and have become a guide for life—the cornerstones of Balinese people.

 

Relations between India and Indonesia were not limited to cultural aspects in the distant past, but also in the context of political aspect because Soekarno, from a young age, in the daily Suluh Indonesia, took inspiration from Sri Aurobindo, Svami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi.

 

In the process of getting international recognition for the sovereignty, India is the leading country that recognized the presence of Indonesia in the international world.

 

The relations between President Soekarno and Prime Minister Nehru was so close, that the location of Wisma Indonesia in New Delhi where the Indonesian Embassy was located, was said to be a gift from Nehru to Soekarno.

 

In the midst of a world that is dying due to the multiple crises having befallen it, the revitalization of Indonesia--India relations is very important, based on their long history.