Ubud Cremation August 18, 2011

For the last 2 months, all of Ubud has been witnessing the building of three key items needed for today's cremation: the sarcophagus shaped like a huge bull, the 24 metre (79′) tall 'bade'/tower and the bridge from the temple to the top of the bade. Several months ago, AA Niang Rai Bumbungan, the queen of the royal household of Ubud's traditional community, passed away and her body was embalmed and maintained inside the royal palace (without being buried for several months which is the traditional process prior to cremation for non-royality).

On August 18 the body was carried across the 79′ tall bridge and put into the top of the tower weighing 10 tons. The procession was initiated by musicians, followed by men carrying the bull on a huge bamboo matrix and then followed by another set of 400 men in a trance carrying the tower.

The procession went from the Ubud royal palace about 1 kilometer between the palace and the cemetery where the body was transferred to the bull and then burned. The ashes were taken to Sanur and thrown in the ocean by the family.

There were thousands of spectators on the route of the procession. We were told that the men were in a trance and not responsible for their actions though it appears their were no incidents.

As the procession with the bull and the tower passed us there were whistles blowing for the men to raise and lower the carried funerary items, there was shouting and wild waving of flags indicating when to lift and lower the 10 ton tower and bull.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• ubud
• cremation
• royal
• family
• bali
• queen
• 2011

[argibiza]

Perfectamente bien explicado, música hipnótica, trance y tropecientos turistas que no logran, aún, desvirtuar unas tradiciones ancestrales y tremendamente genuinas.

Suerte haber estado alli... pero casi que prefiero las menos reales y no tan pobladas e invadidas por bules.