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)