Ngaben is the Hindu ceremony ritual in Bali, Indonesia. For the Balinese, Ngaben is a significant event. With goodwill, the family can free the spirits of the dead from the materialistic world so they can go to heaven and await reincarnation. Therefore the Ngaben ceremony is a process to purify the deceased’s spirit by burning it with the flame to reunite them with the creator.
During the ritual, Hindu priests or “Pemangku” have a vital role in selecting the day of the cremation. The Ngaben ritual itself is such a complex ceremony and has lots of variety according to the deceased’ social status and the family’s financial ability. Ngaben ceremony is such a massive event that include series of preparations and drawing thousands of people to participate. Ngaben also involves various offerings and diverse types of “Patulangan.”
“Patulangan” or “Palingihan” is a unique casket built from wood in the shape of animal such as bull, cow, or lion. Families then go through a series of rituals conducted by the priest. After completing the rituals, ‘Patulangan’ is set on fire, sending the deceased off to their “next” life. After the deceased body is cremated, the families pick up the ashes and spread them in the ocean.
After a long stop due to the pandemic 19, the people of Taman Kaja, Ubud, Bali recently held the mass Ngaben (Ngaben massal). In this Ngaben Massal, several remain cremated at once. One of the purposes was to help reduce the cost. The deceased’s bodies were placed inside a temple structure made of wood (wadah). The families then carry the chests with the deceased body inside to the cremation site, where the cremation process continues using gas burners.