India came to Indonesia and introduced Hinduism and Buddhism to Indonesia, which greatly changed Indonesia's religious belief. When India came to Indonesia 2000 years ago, it introduced Hinduism and Buddhism to Indonesia peacefully. Before the arrival of India, Indonesians were animists and dynamists who worshiped animals and ordinary things and believed that they gave them special powers. Indonesians worshiped the spirits of their ancestors through memorial stones called menhirs. After the arrival of India with their Hindu and Buddhist religion, Indonesians use stones to build a monument used to prepare a sacrificial offering to the Hindu god, usually in the form of an animal. Buddhism and the two sections Hinayan and Mahayan were also introduced. This happened around the 1st century. The Indians then built temples, monuments and other objects. Some include; the statue of Ganesha, a Hindu relic from the first century, the 3 rough pedestals found in early 400 AD, a gift to the Brahmin priest (Hindu priest) in early 400 AD, Candi Badut found in 760 AD (a Hindu goddess of Time and Death), Borobudur and Prambanan discovered in the 8th and 9th centuries in a large Hindu temple complex near Jogjakarta. That's not all. India also taught Indonesia its religion, which made the Indonesian kingdom of Sriwijaya the center of Buddhist education. This attracted many pilgrims and scholars throughout Asia. Another influence is that of our culture which has many roots in the culture of Hinduism and Buddhism. The peak of their influence has been called Indonesia's Classical (cultural) period. Today, most people in Bali still follow Indian religion and culture. As you can see, Hinduism and Buddhism had a huge impact on Indonesian religion, which then impacted other aspects such as education and culture. Indonesia is known for its cultural diversity which has been absorbed by India. Indonesia is constantly reminded of their influence as it continues to this day. Without their coming, Indonesia would have a different culture, different relics and different beliefs. India's influence in Indonesia began when India began trading textiles with Indonesian spices in the 1st century. They came at first simply to stop at ports on their journey to trade east. India and Indonesia have had trade relations for 2000 years, and although established in the 1st century, intensive relations took place between India and Indonesia in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. Before India came, Indonesians bartered with each other, meaning they traded without money..