The Temple of Besakih, Sukuh and Cetho

Description

So far, Bali is more known for its Hindu cultural development than Java. In fact, from archaeological and historical records, the centers of Hindu civilization developed earlier in Java, than in Bali. This becomes interesting to study, considering that although Java experienced Hindu civilization and culture earlier, it seems that external cultural influences or globalization weakened the centers of civilization. On the other hand, Bali, which is the only Hindu mosaic in Southeast Asia, appears to have advantages in developing its Hindu cultural heritage, making it attractive in developing its tourist destinations (Ardhana, 2016). This happens even more so as Hinduism has undergone an indigenization that seems coherent with maintaining local cultural heritage. This proves as stated by Kowsurat, in his writing entitled, “Opening Speech of the Symposium on Challenges in Heritage Tourism”, in Perspectives on Heritage Tourism (2010: 11), that: “The popularity of heritage tourism nowadays proves to be a sign of the widening appreciation of the diversity of global cultures, history, and traditions”.