Tourist ordered to pray for forgiveness after climbing sacred tree in Bali

A tourist who climbed a sacred tree on the paradise island Bali to post it on social media has been fined and forced to pray for forgiveness.

Australian holidaymaker Samuel Lockton was caught scrambling up a holy banyan tree next to a Hindu temple on the Indian Ocean island.

Hindus believe all banyans are ancient trees representing the earth's divine creator.

But footage shot for Lockton's social media shows him beside a temple in Kediri wearing just a pair of shorts as he whoops with delight while he is up the tree.

Local police said he was not aware that the tree was considered sacred to all islanders.

Australian backpacker Samuel Lockton shocked locals by climbing a sacred tree at temple in Bali, Indonesia, on Saturday (ViralPress)

He was seen taking a selfie while standing shirtless among the vines of the banyan (ViralPress)

Police chief Ranefli Dian Candra said: "He claimed he climbed the tree to make personal online content, in line with his hobby."

According to reports, the police arranged a meeting between local elders and the tourist and it was decided that he should pay £28 for a ritual to ask forgiveness from any offended spirits.

Lockton only had £8 on his person at the time, but promised to hand in the rest this week.

The tree had been growing for more than 100 years on the hallowed grounds of a Hindu temple in the Kediri district (ViralPress)

The police were alerted by furious locals before he was questioned (ViralPress)

He is not the only tourist caught filming content at a sacred tree on the Indonesian island in recent weeks.

Last month, Russian yoga influencer Alina Yoga got in hot water with the Balinese authorities after posing naked at a 700-year-old weeping paperbark tree known locally as kayu putih, located at Babakan Temple in the regency of Tabanan.

Alina Yoga shared the images on Instagram and they soon found their way to Balinese entrepreneur Niluh Djelantik, who called on the local authorities to intervene.

Lockton is pictured at the police station in Bali (ViralPress)

Alina later heard about the backlash and deleted the original images from her account and posted an apology video on 4th May.

She said: "I'm so embarrassed, I didn't mean to offend you in any way, absolutely no knowledge of this place.

"I just prayed under a tree and went straight to the police station to explain this incident and apologise."

Tabanan Police spokesperson Ranefli Dian Candra confirmed that Alina had turned herself over to the authorities and that the case will continue to be processed, but did not mention what punishment she is likely to face.

Earlier this year, a Canadian man was deported after performing a naked haka dance on the top of sacred Mount Batur on Bali.