'Ngerit' mass cremation rite liberates dead souls<\/p>\n
Text and photos by I Wayan Juniartha<\/p>\n
GIANYAR, Bali (JP): Even the scorching sun had no power to
\nstop dozens of youths in Tulikup village, which lies on the
\nborder between Gianyar and Klungkung regencies, some 27
\nkilometers east of Denpasar, from holding a mass cremation
\nritual.<\/p>\n
Dressed in traditional Balinese black sarongs with black-and-
\nwhite checkered wraps and dark colored shirts, they kept moving
\nonward, rhythmically, while carrying a heavy, golden colored bade
\n-- a towering structure used to carry a human remains that is
\ngoing to be cremated -- on their shoulders.<\/p>\n
Several meters in front of them, another group carried a
\ndifferent bade. It was taller than the others and was lavishly
\ndecorated. Its multi-layered roof indicated that the deceased
\nbelonged to an upper-caste family.<\/p>\n
At 12 noon, when the fierce sun glared down mercilessly on the
\nmain asphalt road, around 20 bade of various sizes, styles and
\ncolors were being carried along by the villagers heading to a
\nlocal cemetery, Sema Naga, on the western outskirts of the
\nvillage.<\/p>\n
"These bade belong to our banjar Tegal. There are
\ndozens more bade from every banjar in this village,"
\na local elderly explained.<\/p>\n
A banjar is the smallest self-governing social organization in
\ncustomary-law villages (desa adat) in the traditional hierarchy
\nof power. Tulikup consists of at least five different banjar
\nincluding Tegal, Kembengan, Pande, Menak and Kaja Kauh.<\/p>\n
On July 25, Tulikup conducted a mass ngaben (cremation)
\nceremony locally known as ngerit. During the ceremony, at least
\n60 sawa (corpses) were cremated.<\/p>\n
Since it was a communal cremation, the preparations involved
\nall the members of the village's five banjar. All of the costs
\nwere divided evenly among the participating families.<\/p>\n
"Ngerit was introduced in 1963 to enable every Hindu family,
\neven the poorest, in Bali to carry out a cremation ceremony,"
\nrespected Hindu scholar Ketut Wiana explained.<\/p>\n
Wiana added that their spiritual leaders at that time
\nsimplified the offerings and rituals of ngaben, while maintaining
\nthe sanctity and the essence of the ceremony.<\/p>\n
Ngaben is primarily aimed at liberating the deceased soul from
\n"the prison" of the earthly body which, according to Hindu
\nbelief, consists of five natural elements: earth, water, wind,
\nfire and air. By cremating the deceased body, the Hindus believe
\nthat the earthly body is returned to its natural source and, at
\nthe same time, the soul's journey to liberation is speeded up.<\/p>\n
Holding individual ngaben ceremonies is not cheap and would
\ncost a family anywhere from tens of millions of rupiah to
\nhundreds of millions of rupiah. In a few rare cases, for instance
\na royal family's cremation, it could cost up to a billion rupiah.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, taking part in a ngerit ceremony will only
\ncost a family somewhere between two and five million rupiah.<\/p>\n
"Ngerit also serves to strengthen the sense of togetherness
\namong members of the banjar and the whole community in a desa
\nadat," Wiana said.<\/p>\n
This mass ceremony also helps those involved work together
\nwhile at the same time improving their spirit of cooperation and
\nmutual respect, he added.<\/p>\n
Punk teenagers<\/p>\n
The ceremony in Tulikup might be just like any ngaben ceremony
\nin any village in Bali. But the presence of a group of teenagers
\nwho came in style surprised many spectators at the ceremony.<\/p>\n
Instead of wearing the traditional udeng headgear, they were
\nall sporting colorful punk hairstyles ranging from menacing red
\nto sleek silver-brown and glaring green.<\/p>\n
Unlike other groups, while carrying the bade they chanted
\n"Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole," a Spanish chant usually heard during soccer
\ngames or bull fights.<\/p>\n
"Wake up Kadek Moyo, wake up," they joyously yelled.<\/p>\n
Viewers soon learned that Kadek Moyo, a name that was also
\nemblazoned on the teenagers' dark-blue shirts, was a local youth
\nwhose remains were being carried by the teenagers on their
\nshoulders.<\/p>\n
Moyo, known to be loyal to his friends, was run down by an
\nout-of-control truck some two years ago while taking his little
\nsister to school.<\/p>\n
"This is our way of showing everybody how much we miss him,
\nand how we loved him dearly. We have to make a very memorable
\nNgaben for him, one that no one will forget," a bade carrier with
\ngreen-colored hair said emotionally.<\/p>\n
They were undoubtedly successful. Kadek Moyo's bade -- along
\nwith its unique carriers -- would be the talk of the village long
\nafter the procession was over.<\/p>\n
At the cemetery, the teenagers tried to keep their spirits up
\nas they moved Kadek Moyo's remains from the bade onto the back of
\na giant wooden effigy of a black ox known as petulangan (the
\nstructure on which the remains would be cremated).<\/p>\n
Some families used black or red oxen as their petulangan,
\nwhile others used mythical winged-lions or simple white, wooden
\ncaskets.<\/p>\n
The fire finally engulfed each and every petulangan in the
\ncemetery. Even the hottest flames and the most beautiful
\npetulangan could not distract the people of Tulikup from the fact
\nthat death is the inevitable end of every living thing and that
\nthe ceremony was designed to make the journey to heaven much
\nfaster and easier.<\/p>",
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