Bali

Originally inhabited by aboriginal peoples of uncertain origin, Bali was colonized by a seafaring people, called the Austronesians, some four of five thousand years ago. Since the seventh century AD, the animistic Balinese have absorbed diverse elements of Mahayana Buddhism, orthodox Shivaism and Tantrism. Today, the island is the only remaining stronghold of Hinduism in the archipelago, and Balinese religion is a fascinating amalgam of Hinduism, Buddhism, Malay ancestor cults, and animistic and magical beliefs and practices.

A range of towering volcanic mountains divides the island into northern and southern portions. For the Balinese these mountains are the homes of the gods. An enormous fresh-water lake of 4240 acres, sacred Lake Batur, at the base of the great volcano that shares its name, is considered by farmers and priests to be the ultimate source of the springs and rivers that provide irrigation water for the whole of central Bali.

Bali is an island of temples. The Department of Religion has cataloged at least eleven thousand temples - small and large, local and regional. The Balinese call a shrine palinggih, which simply means "place" or "seat" and refers to any sort of temporary or permanent place toward which devotions and offerings are made. Balinese temples are not closed buildings, but rectangular courtyards open to the sky. On festival days the congregation of each temple assembles to pray to and entertain the visiting deities.