Tessy and her Crazy Adventures As a child I used to hate travelling and changing country! My dream was to become a veterinary and own a big farm with many animals. I am now an anthropologist, a filmmaker and a photographer and I can't stay in the same city for more than one year

My Scholarship entry - The Trunyan people and the Taru Menyan tree

Indonesia | Sunday, November 9, 2014 | 5 photos

The Trunyan people, descendants of the original Balinese who predate the arrival of the Hindu Majapahit Kingdom in the 16th century, live in an isolated location on the Easter shore of Kale Batur, Bali. Unlike the Balinese people, Trunyan people do not cremate or bury their dead, but just lay them out in bamboo cages to decompose, although strangely there is no stench. A macabre collection of skulls and bones lies on the stone platform and the surrounding areas. The dead bodies don’t produce bad smells because of the perfume scents from a huge Taru Menyan tree growing nearby.
Trunyan people believe in the existence of protectors, spirit guards who live by the tree and magically nullify all smells. Magic is believed to be extremely high in the community, yet very little is known about them due to their secrecy.
More and more tourists are visiting the cemetery nowadays believing in the power of the big Taru Menyan tree. Many come to meditate under the tree, embraced by this great spiritual aura that protects the area.
Sadly, more and more locals are willing to guide through strangers in exchange of high compensations, leaving aside traditional believes of leaving the dead to rest in peace.

Due to familiar circumstances I was raised mostly by Balinese people, and spent many of my summers in the island. I dedicated a long time to the research of the island culture and traditions. Hence, it pains me to see how this beautiful culture is getting corrupted by the scent of money.
These pictures hold a lot of meaning for me as they are the only pictures left from my Black Magic collection after my suitcase was stole.
I want to continue creating social change awareness through the eye of my camera and that is why an opportunity with National Geographic is so appealing to me. As much as I have travelled in my past, I intend to keep moving holding tightly my camera as a defensive weapon to help preserve this world for future generation. Such is the depth of my dream.