Wayang is a traditional Javanese dramatic performance in which a story is told through puppets or dancers, and the word also refers to the puppet itself. The stories draw on Hindu epics such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, as well as local legends. Traditionally, a dalang, a performer who is also a spiritual leader, runs a show from midnight to dawn, and viewers can watch from both sides of the screen. Gamelan orchestras accompany the performance in Java, and in Bali a related gender wayang style is used. Performances still mark rituals, weddings, circumcisions and national celebrations.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.