Ari Dwipayana Receives Prajaniti Dharmaraha Award 2026

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Anak Agung Gde Ngurah Ari Dwipayana, chairman of the Puri Kauhan Ubud Foundation and lecturer at Universitas Gadjah Mada, has received the 2026 Prajaniti Dharmaraja Award, presented at the Hindu University of Indonesia in Denpasar.

Upon receiving the award, Ari Dwipayana expressed his gratitude and offered his parama suksma to the extended family of Prajaniti Hindu Indonesia for the trust, honour and recognition bestowed upon him.

“From the beginning, I have believed that religious dharma and the dharma of the state are not separate, but rather mutually supportive. Devotion to the nation and state is an inseparable part of devotion to the faithful and to religion,” said Ari Dwipayana in a statement issued in Jakarta on Sunday.

This year, the Prajaniti Dharmaraja Award was also conferred upon Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Basuki Hadimuljono, Lieutenant General I Nyoman Cantiasa, Prof. Dr. I Dewa Gede Palguna, and Pandita Kumari, in appreciation of their dedication and service to the nation, the state and the faithful.

According to Ari, culture is not merely a legacy of the past, but a strategic foundation for building a future Indonesia that has character, is civilised and is advanced.

The man affectionately known as Gung Ari stressed that the award does not mark the end of his service, but rather a reminder that much work remains to be done together.

“The challenges facing the Hindu community ahead require us to strengthen sradha and bhakti, improve the quality of human resources, empower the community’s economy, and instil Hindu values in the younger generation in ways that remain relevant to the times,” he said.

He expressed hope that the award would serve as encouragement to continue working and doing his best for the progress of the Hindu community, the Indonesian nation and humanity at large.

“May this award motivate me to continue creating, serving and fostering collaboration for the progress of the Hindu community, the Indonesian nation and humanity. My thanks to Prajaniti Hindu Indonesia for this deeply meaningful honour,” he said.

The Prajaniti Dharmaraja Award 2026 is hoped to inspire ever more figures to continue embodying the values of Dharma in community, national and civic life, so that Indonesia may achieve progress whilst remaining firmly rooted in the noble values of culture and spirituality.