Ngaben : Traditional Cremation Ceremony

Ngaben or the Traditional Cremation Ceremony in Bali is the ritual performed to send the dead through the transition to his next life. Ngaben, the Balinese word for cremation, is an important event in the tradition of the Balinese people. Ngaben is a purification rite which frees the spirit from its temporary earthly house and facilitates its journey to its next existence. To the people of Bali, death is not an event to be mourned, and is seen as a passage of the soul to a better world, where it starts to prepare for re-incarnation and a newer life. It is a custom and part of a tradition in Bali when someone dies, the whole villager (where one was lives) will help with the preparation for the cremation. The entire villager (but especially for family and relatives) will participate on the day of the cremation ceremony.

Ngaben in Bali is not one that has any sorrow or tears in it. In fact, it is celebrated with great pomp and fervor. The people make it a point to laugh, sing and dance, and celebrate the death of a loved one during the Cremation Ceremony. The most important occasion among the Bali Events and Festivals, the Cremation Ceremony in Bali is a truly colorful and spectacular event that is celebrated with so much fanfare and enjoyment, that one would be amazed to know it was a cremation ceremony.

The Cremation Ceremony in Bali consists of two kinds of ceremonies, the Ngaben, or the cremation ceremony, and the Nyekah or Ngasti, a ceremony performed after cremation. At the Cremation Ceremony in Bali, the body of the deceased is placed at Bale Delod, as if he were sleeping. No tears are shed, for he is only gone temporarily and he will reincarnate into the family.

The Priest consults the Dewasa to determine the proper day for the ceremony. The night before the cremation, holy water will be collected from some main temple and used in preparation of the body and during the cremation. On the day of the ceremony, the body of the deceased is placed inside a coffin which is then placed inside a sarcophagus in the form of a buffalo (called Lembu) or a temple structure called Wadah made of paper and light wood. The Wadah will be carried to the village cremation site in a procession.

The climax of Ngaben is the burning of the Wadah, using fire originating from a holy source. The deceased is sent to his afterlife, to be reincarnated in the future. Another priest performs the last rites and carries the ashes to be disposed off. It is the final separation of the soul from the body.

Location of Destination
Bali Island, Republic of Indonesia.

Route to Get Destination
By plane to Sukarno-Hata Airport (Jakarta). Then by domestic flight about 1 hours and 50 minutes from Sukarno-Hatta Airport (Jakarta) to I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport (Denpasar, Bali Island). Or by international direct flight to I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport (Denpasar, Bali Island).

Best Time to Visit
Anytime cremation ceremony is held

Accommodation for Traveller
There are many hotels, villas, guest houses near any place that celebrate the cremation ceremony (Ngaben) in Bali.