Nadjamuddin Ramly, Director of Heritage and Cultural Diplomacy at Indonesia's Ministry of Education and Culture, said authorities plan to limit the number of visitors that are allowed to enter the Borobudur temple in Magelang (Central Java) to 15 people at one time. This move would relieve rising pressure on the structure of the ancient building. Especially in weekends and holidays hundreds of visitors enter the site causing concern about the preservation of the temple that is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Read more ›

Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago. Due to the country's sheer size (implying diversity) it contains a variety of different religions and traditional beliefs. The Constitution of Indonesia, a secular democratic country containing a Muslim-majority population, guarantees all Indonesian citizens the freedom of worship, each according to his or her own religion or belief. This also means that Indonesia contains many, mostly religion-inspired, public holidays on which financial markets are closed.

Read more ›

Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago. Due to the country's sheer size (implying diversity) it contains a variety of different religions and traditional beliefs. The Constitution of Indonesia, a secular democratic country containing a Muslim-majority population, guarantees all Indonesian citizens the freedom of worship, each according to his or her own religion or belief. This also means that Indonesia contains many, mostly religion-inspired, public holidays on which financial markets are closed.

Read more ›

Indonesia is a large and diverse country. One of the implications of this diverse context is that the country contains a variety of different religions and traditional beliefs. The Constitution of Indonesia, a secular democratic country containing a Muslim-majority population, guarantees all Indonesian citizens the freedom of worship, each according to his or her own religion or belief. This also means that Indonesia contains many, mostly religion-inspired, public holidays on which financial markets are closed.

Read more ›

On Tuesday 12 March there will be no transportation possible to the island of Bali, Indonesia's most popular destination in terms of tourism. On that day Hindus celebrate Nyepi, i.e. the Day of Silence or the Hindu New Year in the Balinese Saka calendar. Bali still contains a Hindu majority population amid Indonesia's Muslim-majority population. The island's traditional Hindu culture and customs is one reason for the annual millions of foreign arrivals.

Read more ›

Saturday 17 March 2018 is a public holiday in Indonesia. On this day the Hindu community of Indonesia, which mostly lives on the island of Bali, celebrates Nyepi i.e. the Day of Silence or the Hindu New Year in the Balinese Saka calendar. As Nyepi is a day of self-reflection for the Indonesian Hindu community, activities come to a near complete standstill from 6 am to 6 pm. Local rules instruct that Hindus are not allowed to light fires (or lamps), work, eat, talk, nor are they allowed to be engaged in any sort of other entertainment.

Read more ›