The Indonesian Embassy said in a statement that dozens of Balinese Hindus and Swedish Hindu converts commemorated the last day of the 10-day-long Galungan festival (also known as Kuningan Day) at the Indonesian Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden. The Hindu followers solemnly performed their prayers, presenting offerings comprising fruit, flowers and cakes. They also spontaneously performed a number of traditional Balinese songs and dances, to warm up the festivities.
Kuningan is known as the day of prayer and is a time when Balinese Hindus carry out special ceremonies for the spirits of their ancestors.
The number of Indonesians in Sweden, including those living there and just visiting, continues to increase, the embassy said.
Bali is the only predominantly Hindu island in Indonesia, a country where about 90 percent of the population is Muslim. Balinese Hindus account for only 1.8 percent of the total population.
