Cremations taboo during Eka Buana rite
Cremations taboo during Eka Buana rite
DENPASAR (JP): As a devout Hindu, Nyoman Widiada has looked forward to the Eka Buana ritual, which occurs only once every 100 years. But he has had to cancel his plans to join the ritual because of an aunt's death.
"I really want to take part in the melasti (purification) ceremony on March 16, but I will be damned if I do," he sighed.
As a devout Hindu, Nyoman has to abandon his wish and obey the Indonesian Hindu Council's rule which forbids his participation in any of the ceremonies.
The council also has banned any ngaben (cremation) ceremonies taking place from Feb. 14 to April 26. Those in mourning are not allowed to take part in the Eka Buana ceremonies, either.
Ida Bagus Gede Agastia, deputy chairman of the council, said all cremations are banned to preserve the sacredness of the Eka Buana ritual.
"The smoke could pollute the air and affect the sacredness of the great ritual," he told The Jakarta Post.
Families of the deceased are not allowed to take part in the Eka Buana ceremonies because the sad atmosphere could affect the sacredness of the rituals.
In accordance with the regulation, the deceased should be buried as soon as the sun sets without any public announcement so that neighbors are not affected by the sad news.
In the case of Nyoman's aunt, who died at the age of 85, her body was buried six days later, which was considered an auspicious day for the funeral.
Balinese pack a coffin with ice to prevent a body from decomposing.
"We cover the whole body with blocks of ice, except the face," said Nyoman's nephew, Mangku Sudarsana. He added that a body can be kept by this method for more than 10 days.
There is a hole in the coffin with a pipe to channel the melted ice. The water is later discarded in a dry creek at the north of Pura Dalem, a temple near a cemetery.
A series of ceremonies were held following the burial. The last one will be on March 19.
"We believe that during the 11 days after the burial, the soul still travels back and forth between the cemetery and the house," Mangku said.
On March 19, the deceased's family will perform the mutus atma (separation of the soul) ceremony in the hope that the spirit goes to its own world.
"We will erect two tree trunks and tie them together with a string. During the ceremony, the string will be cut to mark the separation of the spirit from our world," Mangku said.
The Hindus believe strongly in reincarnation. They believe that any evil deeds during one's life will result in impurities of the soul. This can lead to misery in hell and rebirth as some miserable creature. Therefore, the soul should be purified. Purification is done by means of not only holy water, but also fire.
There is no regulation stipulating how soon after death a body should be cremated. A family must first be able to afford a cremation, which costs between Rp 100,000 and Rp 200,000. People who are unable to afford a cremation may arrange a simple mass ceremony with other families who have lost a loved one. The wealthy on the other hand may spend a huge sum of money on ceremonies, which may go on for many days. The ceremonies reach a peak with the burning of the corpse as well as ritual objects which symbolize wealth.
Last year, Nyoman's family cremated another aunt who had been buried more than a year earlier. The family spent more than Rp 20 million on the occasion.
Most Balinese Hindus unhesitatingly spend much time and money on religious ceremonies as they put spiritual life above everything. The majority of Balinese are devoted to tradition and rituals for ancestors. This makes the exotic Bali a unique island with magic in the air, not only during the Eka Buana ritual, but throughout the year, when hundreds of rites and temple festivals take place. (sim)