UNITED KINGDOM, January 26, 2017 (Daily Mail): A planned six star hotel in Bali has sparked anger with locals who say the development risks angering the God because it would be taller than a coconut tree. Trump Hotels plans to start work on the resort next year and it will be built on a clifftop overlooking the famous 16th century Hindu temple, Tanah Lot.
Local people on Bali have taken issue with the development given the hotel will feature a large tower. Many Hindus on the island measure the height of buildings in coconut trees and believe that any buildings taller than the trees will anger the Gods.
I Gusti Ngurah Sudiana, the local chief of Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia, the country’s peak Hindu organization told Bloomberg: “I would strongly recommend against any new developments that impact the temple. These things are sensitive in Bali. The Balinese don’t tend to speak up, but these things related to the sacredness of the temple are very sensitive, only the enforcement is too weak.”
HPI Note: Our island of Kauai, where Hinduism Today and HPI are produced, has the same restriction in its county building codes: nothing may be built taller than 48 feet, four stories, based on the height of a coconut tree.