Kaharingan

Kaharingan, an animistic religion is professed by most Dayaks in the Kalimantan province of Indonesia. The word Kaharingan means life, which considers the above power as The Supreme god. Some Hindu-Javanese influence can be seen in their religion, thus the Indonesian government viewed their religion as Hinduism.

The main festival of the Kaharingan is the Tiwah festival, which lasts for thirty days, and involves the sacrifice many animals like buffaloes, cows, pigs, and chickens as offerings to the Supreme God.

Shamanic curing or balian is one of the core features of the Kaharingan ritual practices. Because this healing practice often occurs as a result of the loss of the soul, which has resulted in some kind of illness, the focus of the religion is thus on the body. Sickness comes by offending one of the many spirits inhabiting the earth and fields, usually from a failure to sacrifice to them. The goal of the balian is to call back the wayward soul and restore the health of the community through trance, dance, and possession.