Ngaben - Balinese Traditions

For the people in Bali, Ngaben is a happy moment because by carrying out this ceremony, parents or children have performed obligations as family members. Therefore, this ceremony is always greeted with joy without sobs. They believe that sob just precludes the journey of the spirit reaching nirvana. The appropriate day to perform the Ngaben ceremony is usually discussed with the elders or the people of the understand. The body will be placed in a crate. It is placed in an ox-shaped sarcophagus or placed in a vihara-shaped container. This container is made of paper and wood. This form of monastery or cow is brought to the cremation site through a procession. The procession does not run on a straight path because it aims to keep the evil spirit from the corpse.



Peak Ngaben traditional ceremony is the procession of burning the whole structure of yaknik Lembu or this monastery along with the corpse. Ngaben procession usually takes a long time. For those who still have a high caste, this ritual can be done for 3 days. However, for low-caste families, the corpse should be buried first and then done Ngaben.

Ngaben ceremony in Bali is usually done on a large scale like a party and cost a lot. Therefore, not a few people who perform Ngaben ceremony in a long time interval after death. Currently, the Hindu community in Bali many who perform Ngaben ceremony in bulk to mengemat cost. So the bodies of the deceased are buried for a while while waiting for sufficient costs. However, for families who can afford, Ngaben traditional ceremony can be done as soon as possible.