Bali is the most popular tourist destination for the country of Indonesia. It is the furthest west of the Lesser Sunda Islands and lies between Lombok and Java . The capital of the province is Denpasar, which is located in the southern region of the island. One of the reasons Bali is so attractive to tourists who stay in a Bali beach resort is its highly developed arts scene. Bali is rich in culture and the various arts genres of dance, painting, theatre, music and sculpture, among others. Another interesting aspect of the island is that over 93 percent of its inhabitants follow Balinese Hinduism, while most of the remaining population is Muslim. Balinese Hinduism is known by its formal name, which describes Indonesian Hinduism, Agama Hindu Dharma. While this might sound like a simple geographic designation for Hindu practice, it is actually much more complicated. Few Indonesians classify themselves as Hindu, which is because their belief system is too open and varied to restrict it to one specific world religion.

Most the practitioners of Balinese Hinduism share many common beliefs. These include the primary worship and belief in one Supreme Being. The many other deities commonly associated with Hinduism are all incarnations or aspects of this one God. The sacred texts of this religion are the ancient Vedas . Historically, only two of these texts reached Bali in the past, and they form the basis of Balinese beliefs and practices. The religion is also deeply woven into Balinese arts and performance. Balinese Hinduism is not as focused on the traditional cycles of life, death and reincarnation as is most forms of Hinduism. Instead it is focused on human relationships with various spirits and ritualized appeasement of them. In Bali the religion is much more focuses on spiritual and artistic expression than it is on scriptural law and dictation. In addition, the priests are not associated with a specific temple but are spiritual leaders and guidance advisors to families and various villages.