Royal family prepares for grand cremation

Royal family prepares for grand cremation

I Wayan Juniartha, Ubud

Thousands of people, Balinese and foreigners alike, are expected
to crowd the sleepy town of Ubud this weekend when the royal
family of Ubud holds a grand cremation for the twin sister of its
last raja.

The ceremony, known as palebon, will involve members of at
least 15 banjar (traditional neighborhood associations) in Ubud
and its surrounding areas. It will also be a clear testament to
the royal family's ability to maintain its sphere of influence in
these modern times and of the Balinese people's loyalty to the
families of their ancient rulers.

For the royal family of Ubud, the ceremony is a way to show
their asih (love) and bhakti (devotion) to one of its respected
figures, the late Tjokorda Istri Muter, who passed away on June
5.

Born in 1910, Tjokorda Istri Muter was the twin sister of the
late Tjokorda Gde Agung Sukawati, Ubud's last raja and the
island's great patron of the arts.

In Balinese royal families, the birth of kembar buncing twins,
in which one of the twins is male and the other female, is
considered an auspicious event that will bring peace and
prosperity to the land.

"Because the deceased was the twin sister of Tjokorda Gde
Agung Sukawati the upcoming palebon will involve a naga banda,"
the deceased's son Tjokorda Agung Suyasa said.

The use of naga banda, a giant dragon effigy, is usually
reserved for palebon ceremonies for the Dewa Agung of Klungkung,
who in ancient times was considered the king of Bali and Lombok,
and a handful of royal families in other parts of Bali, such as
Ubud and Gianyar.

The naga banda symbolizes the worldly desires, attachments and
ambitions that bind the soul of a ruler, thus, preventing him or
her from leaving this world and entering heaven.

During the palebon ceremony, a Hindu high priest will take a
ceremonial bow and shoot the naga banda in a symbolic act of
releasing the deceased's soul from the coils of desire.

"The naga banda was constructed by I Gusti Ketut Sudara, the
grandchild of the late I Gusti Nyoman Lempad, Ubud's world-famous
sculptor," royal prince Tjokorda Raka Kerthyasa said.

Besides the naga banda, another element of the ceremony that
will surely attract the attention of visitors is the bade, a
wooden tower that will be used to transport the deceased's body
from the royal compound to the cemetery.

"The bade is 25 meters tall and has nine levels. Carved masks
of nine mythological figures and animals are placed on those
levels," Kerthyasa said.

The grandest bade has 11 levels and 11 masks and is reserved
for the palebon of a king.

A smaller bade has also been constructed to carry the body of
another royal family member, Henny Sudarsana, the wife of
Tjokorda Oka Sudharsana. Moreover, the people of Ubud have also
built at least 56 small bade to carry the bodies of the commoners
who will be cremated on the same day.

"All roads to Ubud's downtown will be closed on Saturday
morning, starting at 8 a.m., because at that time all of the bade
will be placed on the town's major street and a purification
ritual will be performed on them," Kerthyasa said.

Ida Pedanda of Griya Aan, Klungkung, will act as the Yajamana,
the officiating high priest in the palebon. He will be assisted
by Ida Pedanda Boda of Laplapan, Ubud.

Some people and media outlets have already called the event
the biggest palebon of the century. The royal family, however,
seems reluctant to put any label on the ceremony.

"To tell you the truth, we have conducted several palebon in
the past that were equal in size and measure with this one,"
Kerthyasa said.

However, Kerthyasa said that size and measure according to
Balinese Hindu texts on sacrificial offerings were quite
different from other people's definitions.

For instance, in determining whether a bade is grand or not,
the height of the bade for the Balinese is much less significant
than the number of levels and masks it has.

"I think that the most interesting thing will be the social
impact of the ceremony. Given the fact that electricity and phone
lines will be cut off to give way for the bade, we are wondering
whether the ceremony will trigger a wave of complaints from the
residents of Ubud," Kerthyasa said.