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Balinese Hinduism — Temple Ceremonies, Cremation & the Spiritual Life of Bali

Balinese Hinduism (Agama Hindu Dharma — the unique form of Hinduism practiced on Bali, a synthesis of Hindu, Buddhist, and indigenous Balinese animist beliefs brought to Bali from Java in the 14th-15th centuries as the Hindu Majapahit Empire declined and its court fled to Bali) is the defining characteristic of Balinese culture and the primary reason that Bali's culture appears so distinct from the rest of Indonesia (which is approximately 87% Muslim).

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1
Besakih Temple — Mother Temple on Mount Agung
Pura Besakih, Bali's largest sacred complex on the lower slopes of active volcano Mount Agung (3,031m), comprises 23 separate temples climbing the mountain. The main courtyard is in continuous ceremonial use since the 9th century.
2
Ngaben Cremation Tower Procession
Ngaben (the Balinese Hindu royal cremation) involves a multi-tiered cremation tower ('wadah') carried by hundreds of men through the streets. The deceased is cremated in a bull-shaped sarcophagus ('lembu') in a public ceremony attended by the whole village.
3
Kecak Fire Dance at Uluwatu Temple
The Kecak dance performed at the clifftop Uluwatu Temple every evening at sunset involves 70+ bare-chested men chanting 'cak-a-cak-a-cak' while enacting the Ramayana abduction scene — the most dramatic performance in Bali.
4
Tirta Empul Holy Spring Temple
Tirta Empul near Tampaksiring is Bali's most important purification temple — pilgrims pass through 30 spring-fed spouts in the outer bathing pool to cleanse bad luck and illness, the ritual unchanged since the 10th century.
5
Galungan Festival — Penjor Bamboo Poles
During Galungan (every 210 Balinese calendar days) every road in Bali fills with 'penjor' — 8m bamboo poles arching over the road, draped with coconut fronds, flowers, and rice offerings celebrating the ancestral spirits' return to earth.
6
Tanah Lot — Sea Temple at Tide's Edge
Tanah Lot sits on a granite outcrop offshore, connected to the mainland only at low tide. The 16th-century Hindu sea temple is surrounded by crashing Indian Ocean surf and guardian sea snakes living in the rock caves below.