'Bade' brings the dead to the afterlife<\/p>\n
Tri Vivi Suryani, Contributor, Denpasar<\/p>\n
Cremation is one of the most important life-cycle rituals
\nwithin the Hindu religion.<\/p>\n
Balinese Hindus believe a human body is comprised of five
\nbasic elements -- fire, earth, air, water and ether which are
\nlocally called panca maha butha, and the burning of bodies into
\nashes is believed to easily release the soul or atman from
\nearthly things and returned to God.<\/p>\n
And during the cremation ritual, the wadah or bade -- a tower-
\nlike structure plays an important role since it is used to carry
\na dead body before it is purified in the cremation ritual.<\/p>\n
A bade, be it small and modest or large and elaborate, will
\nalways be used in any ngaben ceremony. The bade is usually made
\nof wood heavily decorated with a myriad of ornaments including
\ndragon-like figures such as Naga Basuki and Naga Anantaboga.<\/p>\n
A bade is a multi-tier structure, sometimes up to 11 tiers for
\none tower. However, only royal and high-caste families are
\nallowed to use an eleven-tier bade while lower-castes may be
\nallowed to use three to nine tiers.<\/p>\n
I Nyoman Singgih Wikarman writes in a book Ngaben Sarat that
\nthe first three tiers represent the power of the three worlds:
\nthe upper, the middle and the underworld. Each tier represents
\nthe 11 levels of heaven and the world mountain Maha Meru.<\/p>\n
Ketut Buda, a bade artisan from Banjar Abian Kapas in
\nDenpasar, said that creating a bade requires specific skills
\ninherited from senior artisans.<\/p>\n
\"Bade is one of the most important aspects in the death
\nritual. We have to be precise and careful in making a bade.
\nOtherwise, we could encounter unexpected things,\" Buda believed.<\/p>\n
Buda started his profession as a bade maker at the age of 20,
\nlearning the skill from his own grandfather, I Ketut Regug. By
\nmaking a bade, he also learned by heart the entire steps of a
\ndeath ritual.<\/p>\n
In addition to bade, a ngaben ceremony also uses large
\nhollowed out animal statues as coffins, mostly in the form of a
\nbull for a man, or a cow for a woman. Other animal figures could
\nbe lions, deers or elephants.<\/p>\n
The statue\/coffin is made of a solid piece of wood. It can be
\npainted white, black or red depending on the social and family
\nstatus of the person. The white bull, for instance, is only made
\nto carry the remains of a Brahman (priest) and the black one is
\nmade for certain clans or families. The red bull is only used for
\nthe pande (artisan) clan.<\/p>\n
Buda's talent is spread by word of mouth. A single-tier bade
\ncan be completed within two or three days, while a multi-tier
\nbade could keep him working for three weeks. His wife, Wayan
\nSukri and his two sons help him in the business. Each bade costs
\nbetween Rp 1.5 million and Rp 10 million to make.<\/p>\n
\"All the materials are now very expensive,\" Busa said, adding
\nthat he needed lavish velvet fabrics, paper, wood and other
\ndecorative ornaments in creating a bade.<\/p>\n
Despite the surging price of materials, Buda has to maintain
\nthe quality of his work, and his reputation as well.<\/p>\n
\"We must master and abide by the centuries-old rules in making
\na bade,\" he added.<\/p>\n
He seemed to disagree with the current changes made by some
\nartisans. \"Some artisans put wheels under the bade. I think it
\nviolates the existing rules,\" he said. \"I am afraid the changes
\nwill reduce the sanctity of a ritual ceremony.\"<\/p>\n
A gigantic bade is usually carried by dozens or even hundreds
\nof people when proceeding from the home of the deceased to the
\ncemetery where the body is to be cremated. To ease people's
\nburden, a number of artisans have modified the bade by putting
\nwooden wheels under it.<\/p>\n
Prominent Hindu scholar I Ketut Wiana, however, supported the
\nchanges so long as they had positive impacts on the Hindu
\ndisciples.<\/p>\n
\"In religious life, we should adjust to any dynamic changes in
\nsociety,\" said Wiana, adding that the use of wheels under a bade
\nshould not be considered a problem.<\/p>\n
Beautiful ornaments, he said, might help by covering up the
\nwheels.<\/p>\n
\"People tend to argue that a cremation ceremony is a communal
\nwork, a representation of a solid society,\" he said. \"By adding
\nthe wheels, the sense of communality may not be reduced. They can
\npull the bade together.\"<\/p>\n
Wiana would even agree if people used a car in a cremation
\nprocession -- if they think it's efficient and inexpensive.<\/p>\n
\"The most important thing is their sincerity in performing the
\nritual for their respected family member.\"<\/p>",
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