Bali Lifestyle
Releasing the dead
Its cremation ceremony time in Bali which occurs up until the end of August and we are lucky enough to be part of this ritual this year. The streets come alive with this colourful ceremony right throughout the island and its a feast for the senses with the accompanying music, chanting, elaborate structures that carry the dead bodies and then these being set alight. Balinese have a very strong belief in the after life. When a Balinese dies, it is believed that he must undergo certain rituals in order for his spirit to be released. The most important of the rituals is that of cremation. Its a time of celebration and not mourning due to their belief and that death is considered temporary and the deceased will either reincarnate or find his final rest.
To decide the proper day for the ceremony the family would consult a priest. On the day, the body is placed inside a coffin. This coffin is placed inside a structure resembling a buffalo or in a temple structure made of paper and wood. The shape, size, and elaborateness of the varies according to the social and financial status of the family and can cost up to a years wages for many families which is why they are often buried and then once there are a few bodies, done en masse.
During the procession to the cremation grounds, certain precautions must be taken to ensure that the deceased’s spirit does not find its way back home and to ensure the spirit’s smooth passage into the next world requires getting the spirits confused as to their whereabouts, which you do by shaking the tower, running it around in circles, spinning it around, throwing water at it, generally making the trip to the cremation ground anything but a stately funeral crawl. It’s very entertaining to watch.
The climax of the ceremony is the burning of the whole structure, together with the body of the deceased. The fire, together with the chanting of priests is believed to be able to free the spirit from the body, cleanse it and enable reincarnation.
If you get a chance to see this, its a wonderful opportunity to observe the incredible energy the Balinese put into creating real works of art.