One of Bali’s most popular nightlife venues is under investigation by local authorities after reports that a visual display that set the stage behind a DJ set featured imagery of a Hindu deity.
The incident has sparked backlash on social media, with many local Balinese Hindus shocked that religious iconography would be used during a party.
The incident took place at Atlas Super Club and local social media citizen journalism accounts blew up this weekend with local community members, many of whom are Balinese Hindus, adding their take on the situation.
The visual display shows a depiction of Lord Shiva, he is the third god in the Hindu triumvirate, which includes Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu, each of whom plays a central role in Balinese Hinduism. Lord Shiva is also considered to be the Lord of the Dance, and his role is to destroy the universe and recreate it.
The imagery of Lord Shiva was played on the giant screen behind the DJ deck at Atlas Beach Club during the track ‘Aria’ by Argy & Omnya, a melodic techno track that does not refer to Lord Shiva nor Hindu mythologies of any kind.
Footage of the scene was shared widely online with some observers commenting “Not fanatic, but this is unethical.” Another wrote, “Is it appropriate for the figure of Lord Shiva, who is revered by Balinese Hindus, to be displayed in a music club visualization?”.
While producing images of Lord Shiva or any Hindu deity is permissible within the faith, many felt that displaying such imagery in a party setting, and not a ceremony, and a party that was created for and attended by a majority non-Hindu audience was inappropriate.
While many condemned the use of imagery of Lord Shiva in such a context, other commenters afforded some grace to the situation. One commenter wrote, “In the Abrahamic (Samawi) teachings, perhaps the use of the visuals above can be considered blasphemy, but in Dharma, worship can be done in any form, even in the form of euphoria.”
Atlas Super Club is now under investigation by the Badung Regency Civil Service Police Unit (Satpol PP). Speaking to reporters on Tuesday 4th February the Head of Badung Satpol PP I Gusti Agung Ketut Suryanegara confirmed the summons of the Atlas Super Club.
Suryanegara said that the beach club management had admitted to being negligent and was caught off guard by how quickly the incident went viral on social media. He told reporters, “We welcomed the arrival of Atlas management. They clarified and admitted that what is currently being discussed is their mistake.”
The visual has been confirmed to have been on display for one minute before it was replaced by another moving display. According to the standard operating procedures at Atlas, the audio-visual team and management are required to screen any material that will be displayed during the show.
Suryanegara conveyed that Atlas Management also felt that they were caught off guard by the display since what was shown did not go through a selection or sorting process.
He shared “They happened to download the file online. The management stated that the SOP should be in place before it airs tonight, and [the] screening should already be done. That was a mistake and the management is aware of it.”
Suryanegara confirmed “The management has made a written statement not to repeat it. We have given a warning letter and we remind them again to be careful, and to continue to maintain and respect cultural customs based on the Hindu religion.”
On Wednesday 5th February Atlas Superclub issued a statement on its Instagram stories. Shared only in Bahasa Indonesia the club explained “There is really no purpose to offend or abuse the great values of religion and belief. This incident is purely a technical and procedural incident.”
“Fully we realize that this can cause inconvenience to the community and Hindus, especially in Bali. We have taken firm action against the perpetrator of the incident.”
The venue confirmed, “On Saturday, February 8, 2025, at 07:00 WITA, as a form of apology and forgiveness, we will also hold a Guru Piduka Ceremony and Ritual (Apology and Forgiveness) to Lord Shiva according to the beliefs of the community and Hindus in Bali. This implementation will be closely coordinated with PHDI Bali, Banjar Adat Berawa, Tibubeneng Village, and related security apparatus.”
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