Balinese pay their last respects to a noble

Ananta Wijaya and Pariama Hutasoit, Contributors, Mengwi, Bali

Thousands of people flocked to Puri Agung Mengwi Palace, 20 kilometers north of Denpasar, with just one thing on their minds, witnessing one of the biggest cremations in Bali.

The ritual was dedicated to Ida Tjokorda Mengwi, a descendent from the 13th generation of the king of Mengwi, who reigned at the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th century. The man, known as a great violinist, dancer and close confidante of the Mengwi community, died at 86 in September this year.

Palebon or ngaben (cremation) is a common ritual for Balinese people and it is a Pitra Rena, the responsibility of children to their parents or ancestors. Still, this ritual was a rare occasion as it involved local nobility. During the rite, as many as 830 other remains from 37 villages in Mengwi were also included in the ceremony on Dec. 7.

The cremation was the last and the peak of the Palebon ceremony, which started in October. Attended by all the noble families in Bali, a representative of Surakarta royal house and hundreds of foreign tourists, the procession started with Melaspas Pemereman (purification of bade, the carriage) and Melaspas Lembu (purification of a white-buffalo coffin that symbolizes this world) at Puri Agung Mengwi.

Later on, another ritual called Nedulang Layon was carried out to place the remains on the tower-like structure called Pemereman.

The ritual was later followed by a Manah Naga procession, only performed for a king.Naga (dragon) was a symbol of life in this world. In Bali, such a procession could only take place within the dynasty of King Dalem Waturenggong or his descendants who had obtained his blessing.

In the procession, dozens of men, direct descendants of the king of Mengwi's soldiers from Kapal and Balaputra Batu, carried a 133-meter-long dragon-like creature. Their ancestors were the king's close and faithful soldiers and followers. The dragon was placed on the west side of the remains.

Two Hindu high priests, Ida Pedanda Made Gunung (chairman of the Bali chapter of the Hindu Council) from Gianyar and Ida Pedanda Kekeran, shot the dragon with arrows. This was intended to release the soul of the remains from the earth.

The remains were later taken to the cemetery where all close relatives and friends, including Kanjeng Ratu Alit from the Surakarta Sultanate, paid their last respects to the late king.

Using sacred wood, yellow sandalwood and eaglewood, the body of the late king was cremated, a symbolic action to return the body to the elements -- soil, water, air and light.

"It was fantastic ceremony," praised an American guest.

But, the Balinese people believe that the "ticket" to heaven is not guaranteed by the greatness of one's ceremony. It is karma, the good deeds of the dead.