Abstract
This paper analyzes a Hindu-Balinese organization and its activities in Jakarta. In this predominantly Muslim city, Hindu-Balinese residents have formed an organization called banjar to obtain various facilities for their activities. It originates from the Balinese banjar organization, which is the customary fundamental residential unit, though in Jakarta it loses its obligatory character and can be classified as a voluntary association. Based on their banjar activity, Balinese in Jakarta construct their temples (pura), invite priests (pedanda) from Bali and support them. The temples are the base for Balinese activities such as cremation, periodical praying at full moon and dark moon, Hindu religious lessons for youth, and cultural activities such as traditional dancing and gamelan orchestra.
One of the interesting points of Hindu-Balilnese activities in Jakarta is that participants adopt a more dogmatic and innovational style in the religious sphere than people in Bali. While they attach less importance to customary behaviour (adat) such as ritual clothes, they practice full-moon and dark-moon prayer, which has never been practiced traditionally in Bali and has only recently been introduced by the Hindu Council (Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia). Hindu-Balinese activities in Jakarta show an example of a new phase of Indonesian religious activity which contrasts sharply with the customary conservative local activity.
