Bali is a bastion of Hinduism in a great ocean of Islam. The mother nation of this tiny island is Indonesia. Here, 10,000 islands, scattered like stepping-stones between East and West, provide a home for the largest Muslim population on earth, roughly 300 million. So how did this incongruity come about?

Balinese religion, wellspring of the exuberance which characterizes these people, is a complex blend of Hinduism, animism, and ancestor worship. Hinduism's surprise presence on the island began in the 16th century when the armies of Islam were sweeping across Indonesia. A weak Hindu dynasty on east Java was uprooted and fled across the one mile strait to neighboring Bali. Accompanying the royal family were writers, artists, musicians, and dancers. Bali's dangerous reefs and capricious currents were enough to repel all would-be conquerers for 400 years, including the mighty Dutch. In time Muslim armies would prevail over the stubborn Balinese, at least politically, but to this day the roots of Hinduism remain firmly grounded.