CREMATION

Bull "caskets" that will hold the royal bodies

It was with more than a little apprehension that I felt as I prepared (temple garb) to go witness the ritual that is the most important in Bali: cremation.
It is the most expensive of all ceremonies as well as the most extensive.  
Three members of the royal family were being cremated today beginning at the Ubud Palace, in the center of town.

bulls and biers(used in pyre)....all beautifully carved

3 bulls/3 caskets/3 dead men

50' bier

as always the level of craftsmanship is superb

detail on bier (pyre)

detail on bier

this was a very high caste person (royalty) therefore the bier is very high

seat in which priest would sit on top of bier

notice the bamboo construction for carrying the biers

I headed down to Jalan Suweta the street adjacent to the palace.  The heat was sweltering, (a funeral has to begin at 12 noon),not a breeze wafting and crowds of thousands.........(and lots of tourists)
What a sight to behold.  What ceremony.  Inspecting the "bulls" (because of their caste) and the 50' biers in all their rococo glory..... it was a circus atmosphere in the street..... vendors selling drinks and fans.... and of course sarongs.  There were hundreds of men wearing t-shirts inscribed, 10-2-11.... these were all the men that would carry the bamboo poles carrying the biers/caskets/priests.  Ina had told me has was going to do this the day before.
Then I was able to move into the Ubud palace . (I was in temple garb)

 In the furthest courtyard, there was a bale (open raised room) that held the caskets.  There was an underlying smell (covered by incense) of decay.  There were also bodies of roasted baby pigs etc all out adorning the caskets and offerings. (in the sweltering heat)

casket and photo of deceased royal

notice roasted pig (right)

deceased and "ornaments" dead animal offerings

family members

priest incanting

 At this point it is several hours of ceremony.  The heat is stifling.......  but it is enthralling....

gamelan orchestra

funeral procession begins

casket is brought out

more family members carrying banten

casket being lifted up to bier (all bamboo construction)

 After the caskets are loaded unto the biers, the priests climb on and then the fun really begins.
The entire cremation procession moves to the main road ,Jalan Raya where it will be escorted to the cemetery several miles away.

later on they down some electric wires sending Ubud into "no electricity"

topsy turvy

It is choreographed Chaos!  The biers are INTENTIONALLY swerved and turned (and the priests are doing everything they can do to just hold on).  They want to confuse the  "unclean body" which is just a container for the soul.  They do not want the "body" to come back to this place therefore they do all kinds of antics....... it is ghoulishly festive to my eyes.
The procession of thousands walk (think peace marches...... not a spare millimeter of space or pocket of air) down the main street to the cemetery for the actual cremation. 


I bailed....... at the cemetery.... the thought of more heat (fire)..... and i couldn't get the thoughts of the widows jumping into the fire out of my mind (outlawed not too long ago...although it still happens in India).  
The procession was for me what i wanted to see.
The preparation in the days prior again was the interesting part.
The combination of the stifling heat, masses, cigarette smoke and ghoulish circus after 4 hours just made me say,
"Okay......I've had enough"

I walked back to BaliBuddha and had some refreshing
kelapa muda, and rejoined the living.

P.S. FOR MORE INFO REGARDING :rituals + cremation+ history see Manuel Covarrubias' book "Island of Bali" 1930

travelin' woman