In the jungles of central the island of Bali, in Indonesia, hides a centuries-old temple complex that is also an important ecological sanctuary inhabited by a colony of more than 500 long-tailed macaques. We talk about Mandala Wisata Wenara Wana, Also called "monkey forest"
Here there are no cages or walls. The apes move freely through the old sacred ruins. While in other parts of Bali these animals are considered a veritable pest that ruins crops and steals food from homes, here they are revered, fed and cared for with care, since they are part of the spiritual life of the temples.
This sacred forest stretches across 27 hectares of jungle crisscrossed with logging roads, sacred sculptures, and temples. This reserve is also home to a large number of birds, lizards, squirrels and deer.
The most striking temple of all those found in the Monkey Forest is the Pura Dalem, or temple of the dead. It is surrounded by easily visible tombstones in a clearing between the trees near the temple. According to custom, the deceased are buried and then exhumed to place them on a cremation pyre. Afterwards, the ashes are distributed in the sanctuaries of each family. However, the most sacred space in the monkey forest is the Lingga yoni, a Hindu depiction of the phallus and womb.
Locals sell bananas and other delicacies to tourists with which to feed the monkeys, who very attentively wait at the entrance of the temples. Despite this, visitors should be aware that monkeys are wild animals that can bite and occasionally carry disease.
More information - Tanah Lot Temple in Bali
Images: baliwonderful.com