"There are Mount Agung, Mount Batur, and others. This means that the activities for climbing will be regulated, calculated, and studied. It is still allowed for ritual ceremonies and disaster management," Governor of Bali Wayan Koster stated in Denpasar, Wednesday.
Koster noted that mountains can still be used as places for worship. However, the use of the mountain area for tourism activities will be regulated to maintain its sanctity.
"Tourism continues, but sulinggih (sacred person) have decided sociologically and cosmologically, and there is a decision to make the mountains and lake as sacred areas. It is already sacred, but now, it is designated as a sacred area," he explained.
"There are many other mountains, not only this one," Koster noted while responding to concerns of climbing guides and tourism actors regarding the impact of plans to designate a mountain as a sacred area
The plan to designate the mountain as a sacred area was put forward on Monday (Jan 30) at a plenary meeting regarding the draft of the local government regulation on the spatial and regional layout plan for Bali Province for the 2023-2043 period.
The plan to designate a sacred area was submitted following the emergence of violations of the boundaries of sanctity in mountain areas, lakes, and temples in Bali.
Head of Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia (PHDI) of Bali Nyoman Kenak welcomed the government's plan to issue regulations regarding the protection of sacred areas.
"Previously, there was a spatial plan in sacred areas that regulated this. In practice, the area has also been sanctified by people by holding various ceremonies. The presence of the regulation certainly strengthens the protection of the sanctity of the area," Kenak affirmed.
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Translator: Ni Putu, Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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