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BECOMING A GOD
The frequent ritual celebrations add to Bali's magic. The life cycle ceremonies (manusa yadnya) are performed to balance the
material and spiritual sides, the purpose of every ritual is to cleanse people and things. Through evil actions, whether in
this life or another, a soul becomes tarnished, and only by touching pure objects or washing in fire, ash, or holy water can
the spirit be cleansed so it can be reborn as a god.
Grandfather Dewa Putu Oka, cremated Sep.13, 2006.
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Our visit Authum 2006. |
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Time/weather
Amsterdam |
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Time/weather
Denpasar - Bali |
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<--the remains |
CREMATION RITUAL.
The size and elaborateness of the cremation ceremony reflects the wealth of the deceased family. Since cremations are large
and expensive festivals, sometimes the body is temporarily buried until the family can afford the cremation.
The cremation may take place years after the death of the individual.
All the village-banjar unites for the cremation, which is a joyous occasion. |
The high priest is consulted to
determine the propitious day on which to hold the cremation - a date far enough in advance to allow for the elaborate
preparations - Two month before the day of cremation, village women start making offerings from coconut and banana leaves.
The men of the Banjar make a sarcofaag (high tower or wadah) with a carved figure of a sacred animal,
for every family. The deceased of our family was her grandfather who died four years ago and been a warrior (brahman), so on
the sarcofaag was a black bull to burn the remains in.
On the date named, the relatives start at sunrise for the cementery to dig up the remains. The grave is opened and the body
removed or as much of the body as remains after an interment which lasts from a month and seven days to even two years and
longer. Sometimes there is not more than a few bones to be found, but even these are collected and arranged as nearly as
possible in the form of the human body. These are wrapped in a bundle of new white cloth and carried back to the house.
It was an eerie sight when at early morning on September 13, 2006 the families of Banjar Bukit were opening the graves for a
mass cremation, searching the mud-filled trenches, cavorting and shouting with delight the discovery of a blackened jaw-bone
or a femur. Then, women carry offerings of coconut, rice and eggs for the spirit to the cementary. |
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| The tower is carried from the Banjar to the cremation
ground by relatives on a jolly way. Depending on the size of the ceremony, either the eldest son and/or grandson stands on
the tower making noise with bamboo sticks and holding a 'paradise bird' which will guide the spirit to heaven. At the
cremation ground the remains, after high sun (noon) brought by the family in a decorated coffin, is placed in the carved
figure of a cow, bull or fish (a sacred animal). After the bones have cooled, they are collected and placed in a coconut bowl
then ground while the priest chants a mantra. After cremation, the ashes are placed in the sea or if the sea is to far, in a
river close to the Banjar, achieving final separation of the soul from the body. A part of the ashes are placed into the
family-temple at home till the total ceremony ends 12 days after cremation. |
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| The sagred Bull |
In front of the Bull |
Cremation of the remains |
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Childhood rituals.
NOTE: The Bali Hindu calender counts 35 days a month. When we visit the family in April-May 2006 we count 105 days
according to our western calender and came 1 day short on our stay, so we missed the 105 day ceremony of baby Jusdex. We
visit them again in September 2006 to be a witness of the 210 day ceremony in the family-tempel of the Gusti family in
Tabanan.
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Babies of a
Hindu family on Bali are considered little Gods for the first year. At 12 days a blossom- and banana-filled shrine is placed
by a child's bed for its spiritual keeper, Dewa Kumara, who is instructed by his father Siva to protect the baby until the
first tooth emerges. At 42 days the older-sibling spirit departs, and a ceremony is held to cleanse the child's mother. A
baby's feet never touch the ground for the first three months (105 days).
On the 105th day the baby and spirit are bound, and the baby receives a name and the feet are placed on the earth. The first
birthday is celebrated at 210 days, when the baby's hair is cut for the first time and an offering is made to announce that
the child is part of the village.
Marriage and death are the two other major events celebrated on Bali.
<-- on the picture right: baby Jusdex just after the 210 day ceremony, Sep.7, 2006.
His given name is: I Gusti Made Angga Pramana Adiputra (alias: JusDex).
On the left of mother Dewa Ayu Sasminingsih her eldest son:
I Gusti Ananda Pramlidya Arganata at age 5. |
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given a unique private name that is given by a priest (balian) at the 105 day ritual (tebulan). A further layer in the name
is added because of the Hindu caste system, which adds titles that precede full names. If a girl marry a member of one of the
three upper caste, in this case the lower one of the three, the Wesya-caste, her children may use the Gusti title. Made
stands for 2nd son. |
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At puberty, teenagers undergo a tooth-filing ceremony to
grind down the pointed canines, considered hallmarks of demons. Mostly done after
a girl get her first periode and when boys change their voice or before they get married.
Today this is done more just for show and is not the painful dental experience it once was. ------------>
<--By marriage, the man become a member of the Banjar and the woman a member of his family and caste. They will live on
his parents ground with his whole family. The marriage ceremony can take 2 or 3 days, one at the girls and one at the boys
family house. The ceremonies are held in the temple at their parents house. |
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A family temple is situated in the village where the childs father is born.
A village temple is a temple in the village where the family lives, mostly in their own Banjar. |
For more pictures of our Bali visits see albums at: timsnl.shutterfly.com >>
Six photo albums of our Bali visits, from 2003 till 2009.
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