Death
Just like birth, death is an important part in the ritual and ceremonial lives of the Balinese. Death is the source of the most dramatic celebrations on the island. There are many parts to the death ceremony, starting with the lighting of an oil lamp outside the home of the deceased, indicating that there has been a death. The Balinese people have very strong beliefs concerning the soul. They believe that a soul cannot be fully freed if there is a body still around, which is why many are cremated.
The cremation ceremony, or the ngaben ritual, can be very costly and for many Balinese families this is an extra cost they cannot manage immediately after a death. In these cases, the body is buried until the time that the family has saved enough money for a cremation ceremony.
If the cremation is going to take place quickly then a corpse will be mummified and left in the house until the ceremony. The mummification process involves cleansing the body then rubbing a mixture of sandalwood powder, salt, turmeric, rice flower and vinegar. The body is bound with the hands across the chest in a pray position. Metres of white cloth are used in the ritual.
The village priest is responsible for determining an appropriate date for the cremation. Once this date is known the family will begin the construction of a large tower, often made of paper and bamboo, and decorated according to the deceased's caste and financial status. Towers are sometimes shaped to represent a mythical creature or a god. The deceased is place within this tower on the day of the funeral procession.
The procession takes to the street and is a parade of people in colourful clothes carrying gifts and offerings, accompanied by musicians playing cheerful music. Many people help to carry the tower. The tower is spun and shaken to confuse the spirit and to stop it from returning to haunt the living.
Once at the cremation site, the celebratory actions stop and the body is transferred to a coffin, which is often in the shape of a bull or lion. The coffin is then set alight and the crowd will cheer and yell as they celebrate the departure of the spirit into the heavens. Once a person has died, attention turns to their spirit, as their body has no purpose any more.
Cremations are a time for celebration for the Balinese and not a time for tears or sadness. It is a time when the soul is freed from the body and the material aspects of life. The soul is thought to be one step closer to the divine state. Read also Tooth Feeling
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