Bali Funeral Ceremony Tours

ONE DAY BALI FUNERAL CEREMONY TOURS

Funeral or Cremation ceremony in Bali are intensely suggestive ceremonies of great cultural and religious significance. Funerals are centered on cremation of the body requiring a complex apparatus and characterized by a large following known as ngaben or pelebon. This practice is considered essential if the 5 elements making up the microcosm of the human body are to be returned to their original residence, the universe’s macrocosm. The five elements, Panca Maha Bhuta, are the earth (pertiwi), water (apah), fire (teja), air (bayu), and ether (akasa)

Since the primordial dimension can only be attained through water and fire, the ashes are dispersed in the water of the sea or if the distance is too great, in a river. The funeral ceremony is generally led by a priest and punctuated by a lavish offering of gifts. For the occasion, a large bullock-shaped wooden structure is built and then entirely covered with white drapes if the deceased belongs to a priestly caste–in black.

There are ceremonies for every stage of Balinese life but often the last ceremony–cremation–is the biggest. A Balinese cremation can be an amazing, spectacular, colorful, noisy and exciting event. In fact it often takes so long to organize a cremation that years have passed since the death. During that time the body is temporarily buried. Of course an auspicious day must be chosen for the cremation and since a big cremation can be very expensive business many less wealthy people may take the opportunity of joining in at a larger cremation and sending their own dead on their way at the same time. Brahmans, however, must be cremated immediately.

Apart from being yet another occasion for Balinese noise and confusion it’s a fine opportunity to observe the incredible energy the Balinese put into creating real works of art which are totally ephemeral. A lot more than a body gets burnt at the cremation. The body is carried from the burial ground (or from the deceased’s home if it’s and ‘immediate’ cremation) to the cremation ground in a high, multi-tiered tower made of bamboo, paper, string, tinsel, silk, cloth, mirrors, flowers and anything else bright and colorful you can think of. The tower is carried on the shoulders of a group of men, the size of the group depending on the importance of the deceased and hence the size of the tower. The funeral of a former rajah of high priest may require hundreds of men to tote the tower.

A long the way to the cremation ground certain precautions must be taken to ensure that the deceased’s spirit does not find its way back home. Loose spirits around the house can be a real nuisance. To ensure this doesn’t happen 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…

What to bring
Camera, extra money, sport shoes, sunscreen, and cream against mosquito.

One Day Cremation Ceremony Tours with us, you can truly feel like Balinese, because you are invited to be part of the people in the society which is paricipating the ceremony. We will prepare your dress, sarong and some gift to carry for the family in Balinese way. Beside that, our guide will always accompany and lead you with some information about the ceremony.

One Day Cremation Ceremony Tours Rate

TBA

Tour Activities Inclusion
Full AC transportation with experienced and English speaking driver, Standard Balinese Dress and Equipment, Mineral Water and soft drinks on board.

Please contact us for more information about this Cultural Tour and Activities. Our team on the field keep informed us about the date and the place of event. Therefore, price and arrangement will be adjusted to the condition on the due day and the destination.

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