Four main social tiers shape Balinese Hindu life—Brahmana, Satriya, Wesia and Sudra—each carrying its own rituals, status and ancestral pride. Think of them as concentric circles around village temples, guiding everything from festive parades to daily offerings.

• Brahmana
– Temple priests and scholars, keepers of sacred chants.
– Often lead purification ceremonies during Galungan or Odalan festivals.
– A handful of families hold this role, tracing unbroken lineages back centuries.

• Satriya
– Warriors and nobility, historically linked to local rajas (princes).
– Serve as ritual patrons, providing resources for temple upkeep.
– In modern Bali, many carry prestigious names but may work in government or tourism.

• Wesia
– Merchant class steering trade, crafts and agriculture.
– Bridge the gap between ritual obligations and village economy.
– Active in cooperatives, small businesses and eco-tourism ventures around Canggu and Ubud.

• Sudra
– Vast majority of Balinese, engaged in farming, fishing and daily offerings.
– Responsible for most temple ceremonies, carrying baskets of colorful shrines each morning.
– Celebrated for community spirit—every family pitches in during big rituals.

Strict endogamy once kept these groups neatly apart, but today it’s more fluid. Urban centers brim with mixed-caste marriages and cooperative village committees. National laws forbid caste-based discrimination, yet age-old customs still color social life: seating at temple feasts, who leads the ceremony, even the order of sprinkling holy water. Amid Bali’s surge of digital nomads and eco-resorts, these traditions are finding new expressions—Sudra families crafting organic rice terraces for wellness retreats, while Brahmanas livestream Sanskrit recitals during silent Nyepi days. Through it all, the caste system remains less a barrier than a framework for belonging, weaving ancestral pride into the island’s vibrant tapestry.