Two wild deers stood proudly on the ground of Taman Kelenting Sari, a Hindu temple in Menjangan island, Bali province.
The bucks acted as if they were the true owners of the place of worship. They looked on calmly as several devotees entered the temple's inner sanctum.
Dressed in Balinese traditional costumes, the visitors were about to celebrate the Galungan festival in the tiny island offshore the western tip of Buleleng regency.
The believers walked solemnly as they approached the temple's shrines and presented flowers and fruit offerings to the deities believed to reside in the temple.
They then sat cross-legged on the ground, lighted fragrant incense and began praying.
Throughout the rite, the deers remained inside the temple and the devotees treated them with respect.
"They are the guardians of this island. We must respect them," Ni Nengah Ariani said.
Ariani and her friends travelled more than 150 kilometers, including a three-hour drive and a brief boat trip, to reach the island.
The worshippers were all Denpasar residents who wanted to celebrate Galungan in a more tranquil setting.
Galungan, which fell on Wednesday, is celebrated twice a year to mark the victory of dharma (virtue) over adharma (vice). It is one of the most joyous Hindu festivals in Bali.
After completing their ritual at the Taman Kelenting Sari, the devotees walked to several other places of worship in the island.
A narrow dirt path connects these temples and sacred site, which include Pesraman Kebo Iwa, Pendopo Agung Dalem Patih Gadjah Mada and Segara Giri temple.
Kebo Iwa was the legendary prime minister of the ancient Balinese kingdom in Bedulu, Gianyar. He was said to possess superhuman physical powers and invincibility.
On the other hand, Gadjah Mada was the powerful prime minister of the Majapahit kingdom in East Java. He led a massive military expedition to conquer the Balinese kingdom. Gadjah Mada tricked Kebo Iwa by promising him the hands of a beautiful Sundanese princess.
During his trip to Java to meet his would-be bride, Kebo Iwa was buried alive by Majapahit soldiers inside a deep well he had dug himself, in a demonstration of love for the princess. With Kebo Iwa out of the picture, Majapahit troops found it easy to conquer the Balinese kingdom.
During their trip along the narrow path, the devotees encountered a nearly barren landscape of prolonged drought. Trees were dying on both sides of the path.
Temple custodian Jero Mangku Gede Sarjana said there had been no rainfall on the island for almost six months.
"Several deers have left the island, they swam to the mainland in search of fresh food," he said, adding the island had a population of 80 deers.
Sarjana lives in Sumber Klampok village in mainland Bali. Each day, he takes the 30 minute boat trip to Menjangan island to fulfill his duty as one of the temple custodians.
"I only spend the night in this island when a major temple festival takes place," he said.
He added people were generally not allowed to stay overnight in the island since it was part of the protected areas of the West Bali National Park.
Sarjana hoped that the island would remain free from tourism development.
"The island should not be disrupted by any human activity or man-made structures. Let the deers be the sole residents of this island, Humans should visit for religious purposes only."
The island is 6,000 hectares in size and has clean, beautiful beaches with pristine under-water ecosystems. The sheer beauty of its coral reefs has drawn an increasing number of visitors in the last couple of years.
