And why should Balinese Hinduism blindly copy India?

"Balinese have to know that they are Hindus," says the Indian school.

Why should they? Isn't Hinduism a way of life and not a religion?

And that is exactly how Balinese feel about their religion. And why change this marvellous, unspoilt (at least in the interior) culture of the Balinese? Hinduism has always accepted diversity within its larger family. Why should it not accept Balinese Hinduism?

Yet the Indonesian government seems to be covertly fostering the split amongst Balinese Hindus. It is supporting the Hindu Parishad Indonesia, the official movement of Indonesians Hindus, which backs the Hindu University's move to align itself to India.

"It is very difficult to build a temple in Bali now," says a Hindu activist who does not want to be named. "The government is purposely trying to destroy our culture."

There are also rumours that the Indonesian government has been thinking, on and off, of imposing the Islamic veil in Bali. It is true that one finds some kind of autonomy in Bali, but there is less freedom nowadays and Hindus are scared to speak up.

The present governor, who is a Hindu, is weak and does Jakarta's bidding. The government wants for instance to build a golf course near a mountain which is sacred to all Balinese Hindus. Is the Indian government doing anything to protect those who have embraced peacefully its culture and ethos and who propagate its eternal values of peace and tolerance?

Well, for one, the Indian consulate in Bali seems to be encouraging tirtha yatras. Is it because these visits are good for the Indian travel industry? For indeed, there is some commercial angle to the move of aligning Balinese Hindus to Indian Hinduism, as travel agencies owned by some of the 'reformers' may be benefiting indirectly from the tirtha yatras, however pure their motivations and good their intentions.

Image: A vendor positioned in front of the Bajrah Sandhi in Denpasar. Image: Sonny Tumbelaka/AFP/Getty Images