On a 700-year-old banyan tree in Bali’s Tabanan region, Alina Fazleeva, an Instagram star with thousands of followers, stood naked for a photo.
Officials on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali said Friday that a Russian influencer and her husband will be deported after holding a nude photo campaign on a sacred tree in violation of local tradition.
Alina Fazleeva, who has thousands of Instagram followers, posed naked at a temple in Tabanan district under a 700-year-old banyan tree.
The photo, taken by her husband Andrey Fazleev, was posted to Instagram and quickly went viral, causing outrage among Balinese groups.
Mountains, trees, and other natural elements are revered in Balinese Hindu culture because they are believed to be the dwelling places of the gods.
“Both of them are proven to have carried out activities that endanger public order and do not respect the local norms,” said Bali immigration chief Jamaruli Manihuruk.
“So, they will be sanctioned with deportation.”
According to him, the couple would be barred from entering Indonesia for at least six months and will also be required to take part in a purifying rite at a sacred site, as is customary.
Alina Fazleeva apologized in English and Bahasa Indonesia on her Instagram account, admitting that she “made a big mistake.”
“There are a lot of sacred places in Bali and not all of them have information signs about it, as in my case,” she said.
“And, it is very important to treat these places and traditions with respect”.
Governor Wayan Koster of Bali stated that his administration would no longer accept tourists who were impolite.
Last year, about 200 people were deported from the vacation island, some for violating Covid-19 rules.
Recently, a Canadian actor and self-proclaimed wellness guru was deported from Bali after a video of him performing the Haka, a traditional Maori ceremonial dance from New Zealand, at holy Mount Batur went viral.
Image Credit: Getty
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