In Reply to: Death in Bali... posted by ardjuna2000 on Saturday, 29. November 2008 at 23:02 Bali Time:
I can tell you about my personal experiences .. Death is viewed very differntly here in bali than in western culture.. it is sad of course because we have lost a loved one .. but it is not viewed as the end of the journey rather a transition .. between this world , the "other world and the reincarnation..
My husbands grand parents have both passed away in the 5 years i have lived here and both cremations have been an amazing experience..
The dead are never left alone, great numbers of people gather bringing rice , coffee, and money [if possible].. These huge numbers of people need feeding and so there is a huge amount of activity.
An auspicious day is selected for the funeral and much ceremony is conducted.. also strangely a party atmosphere develops.. kids play , women cook and gossip.. men gamble, drink arak, then on the day before a cleansing ceremony..
The deceased is carried to the main area of the family compound and rests on a bamboo bed.. the family gathers and they wash the body throughly, hair is washed nice smelling oils are placed on the loved one, flowers adorn the body and then they are wrapped in a white cloth. clean smart and ready for the journry.
The cremation day begins early, the house is full to bursting ,gamelan music plays loud the local cigarettes smoke fills the air and a general feeling of fevered panic ..
The body is brought out and placed in a coffin then placed in an ornate carrying reseptacle.. in our family the youngest member of the family is placed on to of this to be carried along by the men ..
The journey to the cremation place is hurried and fevered , to confuse the unwanted spirits the men toss and turn the coffin, they run and yell splashing water at each other.. twist turn and spin while the women run along thw white cloth that runs the length of the procession..
Arriving at the cermation place the body is placed in a metal structure and prayers said ,ignited.. as the body burns prayers are said , food and drink is served and we sit and wait for the body to burn.. when after an hour nothing is left only a few large pieses of bone they are collected groung down , then everything is placed in a coconut, the family then gather on the beach and the younger men of the family swim the coconut out to sea.. those on shore wave and clap and the cocnut floats away.. admittedly the first time was a bit much for me , born in london living in sydney does not prepare you for THIS, but having my father die in australia and having a western funeral.. cold serile and distant, the balinese funeral is loving, reverencal and very moving... there is also a wonderful discription in 'fragrant rice" i know this is not an answer to your question but a truly amazing experience ....