I was walking in the street on my last day in Bali and saw a lot of people and a fire at the park. I stopped and took my camera to watch what turned out to be a cremation of a dead Balinese. The fire was already burning and people who attended the ceremony were sitting around in different group. The close family was sitting next to the Swamis – are the holy men who will perform the religious practice of the cremation. After the body was completely burned, they will pull the tray that contained the ashes from the fire. Then they will cool the ashes with water and will start scooping the ashes into a white fabric and will squeeze it out to get the moisture out before placing it with the fabric into a tray and eventually will be placed in the urn – the vase or container that will contain the ashes. In the Balinese culture the cremation process varies from one to another. It depends on the financial means of the family. I was told the poor will cremate the whole body with the bones while the rich will keep the bones to bury them. The urn that contains the ashes will be placed in a temple.
I remember when I was in Taiwan, I was told they used to bury the dead but because the land is very expensive in Taiwan, most families now just cremate the dead, but in the Balinese culture it’s always cremation.
I asked for a permission to take pictures because I thought it might not be appropriate but they said it’s totally fine. While watching the ceremony I sensed it’s more of social and religious ceremony because I saw some guys on one corner who were playing cards and betting money while the cremation ceremony was taking place and they were having good time, which is very different that other culture.
