A Balinese Funeral: Roger Garwood

A Balinese funeral is a unique combination of the spirituality of Buddhist and Hindu rites which celebrate a person’s time on Earth and, importantly, their transition to a life after death.

Various elements of the funeral ceremony are spaced out over seven days. At one point relatives of the deceased walk around the funeral pyre carrying offerings and pictures of relatives.

Tourists will be aware of the funeral ‘season’ on the tropical island by the visible presence of massive bamboo towers which will convey a body to a cremation. But these prominent structures are for wealthy Balinese. In most villages and towns throughout the island the cost of a funeral is shared between several families.

The first part of the funeral starts, at about 3am. Each relative is disinterred and carefully wrapped in a white sheet before before being lifted from the temporary grave and taken to an area of cemetery for cleaning. There is a pervading sweet smell of decay in the still morning air

In a small coastal town which I look on as a second home, a mass cremation is held about every three years. When a family member dies they are buried in a grave in the local cemetery.

Family members take the earthly remains for washing and preparing for the cremation

This is a temporary resting place. Over three years enough relatives are ready to move on to a new life. In this ceremony 98 were cremated.

During a ritual washing the skull is passed to each family member

The ceremonial process took seven days culminating in the Ngaben, the cremation, after which the ashes were divided between family members who took them to sea for a final scattering on the element of water, in this case the Badung Strait.

Skeletal remains are ceremoniously laid out and scattered with flowers before being wrapped ready for cremation

As family names are called relatives carry their body, ready for cremation, to be placed on the funeral pyre

A body is carried by family members to the pyre

Early in the day of the cremation a procession leaves the local temple. On this day effigies of 98 relatives were carried through the town

Hot, humid, days make it necessary for an occasional rest during the procession

Relatives parade offerings and photographs around the pyre of those to be cremated

The final blessing by the temple’s priest

The burning of the remains takes three to four hours during which time bones are rendered to ash

The funeral consists of men, women and children who are laid in careful order. The priest finally draws a line down the centre of the ashes and two lines across the width, symbolically dividing them into men and women and from head to toe

Each relative is then given a small sample of ashes from each of the six sections. This ensures they have a small part of their relatives’ remains for the final part of the ceremony

Bali’s funerals are a time of celebration. Hindu’s believe that during our living presence we consist of earth, air, fire and water – the basic elements. After death we are reincarnated and return as a higher form of life

Ashes and offerings are prepared for the final distribution to the spirits of the ocean

Story and Photographs © Roger Garwood 2023

This is an updated version of a story first published in Fremantle Backchat.