Three men arrested over bare-bum photo at sacred Sri Lankan site

A social media photo has reportedly led to the arrests of three men in Sri Lanka on grounds of insensitivity.

The young Sri Lankans were at Pidurangala Rock when they took the photo Source: Sri Lankan Police

Sri Lankan police have reportedly arrested three men part of a group who took a bare-bum photo of themselves at a sacred Buddhist site.

The young Sri Lankan nationals posted images to social media of themselves at Pidurangala Rock, a 200 metre tall, hard-to-climb rock formation popular among hikers.

The arrests reportedly came after a formal complaint by a Buddhist monk, who said the photo was a religious insult.

Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe personally ordered police to investigate the matter, according to the county’s Daily Mirror newspaper.

It is believed the men were inspired to take the photo by the Cheeky Exploits Instagram page, which encourages people to expose skin at famous locations around the world.

Pidurangala Rock is few kilometres from the ancient city of Sigiriya, a Unesco World Heritage site often referred to as the eighth wonder of the world.

The arrests have drawn mixed reaction: some are pleased with police defending the religious icon, while others say authorities should have more important things to do.

Pidurangala Rock is near the ancient city of Sigiriya (pictured) Source: AAP

There have been several instances over the last few years where semi-nude photos at sacred sites have drawn criticism from locals.

Four Westerners posed naked on Malaysia’s sacred Mount Kinabalu and received jail terms and fines in 2015.Their actions were blamed for causing a 5.9 magnitude earthquake.

Playboy model Jaylene Cook was criticised for being culturally insensitive after posting an image of her bare bum at New Zealand's Mount Taranaki last year.