Bali, Indonesia: Temples, Rice Fields, and Markets

Bali is an Indonesian island and province east of Java. It is Indonesia’s Hindu-majority province, where religious practice is closely interwoven with temples, community institutions, agriculture, ritual, and the arts.

The temple photographs document Pura Puseh Desa Batuan in Gianyar Regency. Its carved-stone gateways and red-brick structures reflect Bali’s highly developed tradition of religious architecture. Balinese artistic practices include dance, gamelan music, sculpture, woodcarving, metalwork, textiles, and the preparation of banten, a broad Balinese term commonly translated as ritual offerings.

Rice cultivation has shaped both Bali’s food system and its cultural landscape. Irrigation is traditionally coordinated through subak, cooperative associations that manage canals, weirs, rice fields, and relationships with water temples. The system dates to at least the ninth century and expresses Tri Hita Karana, a Balinese principle connecting the spiritual realm, human communities, and nature.

Balinese cuisine is commonly centered on rice and uses vegetables, fruit, herbs, and complex spice mixtures. Markets distribute fresh produce, spices, prepared foods, and other daily goods. Food and offerings also hold important places in temple festivals, community observances, and life-cycle ceremonies.