Bali: Video of tourist meditating naked at Hindu shrine sparks massive outrage 

A foreign visitor who was filmed meditating naked at a Hindu shrine in Bali, Indonesia has caused public outrage. The video went viral on social media, and many Balinese people have expressed their anger and disappointment.

This gained widespread attention after Balinese influencer Ni Luh Djelantik took to her Instagram to repost a video over the weekend which reportedly featured a tourist disrespecting traditional customs by displaying uncensored nudity.

“So disrespectful. Meditating nak*d on our temple ? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND? How could you do this, humiliating Balinese and their belief? Immigration Officer please get this person, we’ve had enough! This is a humiliation to us Balinese people,” she captioned the post.

The original video of the man meditating appears to have been deleted. “We are still carrying out investigations regarding this incident,” The Jakarta Post quoted Tedy Riyandi, head of the immigration as saying.

Authorities are believed to have identified the individual who triggered the outrage with his meditation, but his identity and nationality have not been made public as the search continues.

“The efforts currently being made by the Immigration Office are to contact the foreigner’s social media account, but to date there has been no response,” Riyandi was quoted as saying. He further mentioned that the search was being coordinated with Bali police, and that they were still attempting to ascertain the location and timing of the incident.

Bali, known for attracting millions of international tourists annually, has recently found itself at the centre of controversy due to some ill-behaved visitors. Since reopening post-Covid-19 restrictions, several high-profile cases of tourists disrespecting local customs and sacred sites have made international headlines.

In March 2023, a Russian man apologised for standing semi-naked on a sacred spot in Bali. The traveller, identified as Yuri, aroused uproar after posting a since-deleted Instagram photo of himself mooning on top of Mount Agung.

A Russian woman who posed naked for photos in front of a sacred tree the following month was deported just days after being detained for disrespecting the landmark. It happened a year after another incident involving a Russian guest.

Soon after, Indonesia's coordinating maritime affairs and investment minister, Luhut Pandjaitan, asked for a tourist tax, claiming that Bali's status as a low-cost destination had "encouraged many low-income foreign visitors," leading to "an increase in unruly behaviour."

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