Bali, The Island of Gods and The Island of a Thousand Temples

Lying just south of the equator and roughly a 17 hour flight time from London, Bali is a popular, tropical island destination in the Indonesian archipelago. Boasting a  year round tropical climate, with lush rainforests and beautiful white beaches, Bali is a nature lover’s paradise.

In November 2024, I was lucky enough to be taken to this tropical haven as a surprise trip for my 50th birthday and I absolutely fell in love with the island, its natural environment, its culture and its people.

One thing that really impacted me was the way a sense of the sacred and beautiful are woven naturally through everyday life and being a 2nd year student on the OneSpirit ministry training course, this spiritual and cultural milieu provided ample opportunity for a deepening of my study into different faith paths. What started as a holiday became a pilgrimage!

Whilst Indonesia is a Muslim-majority nation (87.1% of the population follows Islam) Bali is predominantly Hindu (87%) however, Balinese Hinduism (also known as Agama Hindu Dharma)  is quite distinct from its Indian cousin and incorporates aspects of Hindu worship and practice as well as animism, ancestor veneration and reverence for Buddhist saints or bodhisattva. It’s worth noting that the word “Hindu” is actually an umbrella term for the varied religious and spiritual traditions of the Indian subcontinent rather than a distinct religion.

In common with the more well-known Hinduism, Balinese Hinduism includes the worship and service of the Indian trinity or Trimurti  – Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva but Balinese Hindus also worship a range of deities not found in traditional Hindu practice. Alongside this is an animistic practice and belief in the enspirited nature of all things which was adopted from the local Indigenous spiritualities that predate the arrival of Hinduism on the island in the 1st century CE

Whilst Balinese Hinduism is obviously polytheistic with its distinct animistic flavour, it’s interesting that it is officially a monotheistic religion. In order to meet the Indonesian Ministry of Religion’s requirement that officially recognised religions worship only one god, Balinese Hindus declared their religion to be monotheistic and identified Ida Sanghyang Widhi Wasa as the “undivided one”  and “The divine ruler of the Universe” thus satisfying the government’s requirement. The other gods are seen as manifestations of this One God.

Whilst the philosophy and theology of Balinese Hinduism are fascinating and worthy of deeper study, what captivated me was the way spirituality permeated everyday life in a totally natural way.

Every home has its own temple, and when building a home a percentage of the budget is allocated to building the home temple. These can be small, modest structures like a large altar through to intricate and extensive areas in the garden. Every village has a temple and there are temples in the major town areas also. You literally cannot go more than 10  metres without passing a temple of some description hence one of the island’s nicknames – “the island of a thousand temples” although in reality the exact number of temples is hard to accurately estimate and is more likely in the region of 20,000!

These temples are not dry, dusty relics but are active focal points of worship with offerings (Canang sari) being made every day at the temple, as they have done for hundreds of years, but also made in the streets in front of shops, cafes and businesses. These offerings are made in gratitude to the gods and consist of small baskets made of woven palm leaves filled with rice, flowers and sweets. As these offerings are made, often twice or more each day, the worshippers may be heard quietly chanting prayers as they wave incense in the air. Daily life is imbued with a reverence and gratitude and this is visible throughout the towns and villages. In Sanskrit, the word “Bali” can refer to a ritual food offering made to the gods – so maybe  another nickname for this sacred island could be “The island of a thousand offerings.”

In addition, there are many statues and religious icons around the temples, homes and in the streets. Vishnu, Krishna, Ganesh and many others are commonly seen and these are adorned with garlands of flowers on a regular basis and on special days the statues are clothed in Balinese sarongs. We were fortunate enough to be in Ubud at a particularly sacred time when the large temple held days of celebration, offerings and procession – sitting in a street cafe watching hundreds of beautifully dressed devotees dance and drum their way down the main thoroughfare whilst carrying large statues of the Hindu pantheon was a spectacle to witness and one we won’t forget in a hurry. 

The Balinese take great delight in beauty and their culture, their homes, their meals and their clothes all reflect this aesthetic.  As well as being widely available for purchase as souvenirs, handmade sarongs in the finest silk and decorated with batik are worn proudly as sacred temple wear, intricately carved wooden sculptures and religious icons decorate homes and doors, doorways and household furniture are all beautifully carved. No flatpack Scandi products here! Art markets are full to the brim of bronze statuary, batik scarves and sarongs, wooden carvings, paintings and wall hangings. It is tempting to think this is all merely aimed at the tourist dollar however it becomes obvious that art, craft and beauty are woven into Balinese life, an ethos of making daily life beautiful. Certainly, something I brought home with me – both as souvenirs and a challenge to how I live my life.

Bali was so rich in experience – I haven’t even mentioned the Sacred monkey forest, the elephant sanctuary, the rice terraces and the waterfalls, but one experience I will cherish above all others was taking part in a water blessing ritual called a Melukat at the Pura Tirta Empul Holy Springs, north of Ubud, The temple has several holy springs believed to have been created by the goddess Indra, and the temple is dedicated to Vishnu, the god of water. A ‘melukat’ is a ritual of cleansing the mind, body and spirit and begins with donning special sarongs, praying, meditating and making offerings at the temple gate. We then progressed along a line of spouts of holy water, praying and washing our face, hands and head at each spout. The last spout was most auspicious and here the waters deliver blessings. This was followed by a change of sarong and we entered the courtyard of the temple holy men where again offerings were made and we were led in a prayer ritual by the holy men who sprinkled us with more holy water. Although not a Hindu, joining in with this sacred ritual was a deep privilege and really special.

O Bali, verdant and lush

Land of spirits and gods

Island of offerings and intricate beauty

I bow in deep reverence

And gratitude

For all, you have shown me.

Suksma, suksma, suksma!

(Suksma is Balinese for thank you and is usually accompanied by a prayer posture of the hands).