Bali cremates its last king

Cremation is an essential rite of passage for Hindus

By the BBC's Delia Banks

Thousands of people have flocked to Puri Agung Palace in Mengwi, Bali to witness one of the island's biggest cremations of recent years.

Strange as it seems, it is in their cremation ceremonies that the Balinese have their greatest fun

Miguel Covarrubias

Ida Cokorda Mengwi, descended from 13 generations of kings, was cremated together with about 830 other Balinese.

Cremation is an essential rite of passage for Balinese Hindus, as it is considered a means of releasing the soul from the body so that it can be reincarnated.

Even a modest cremation costs thousands of dollars and takes two or three dozen women several weeks to prepare all the offerings.

Coffins are placed in many-tiered towers

Because the ceremony is so expensive, ordinary Balinese families often have to bury the deceased while they save up, which can take years.

The alternative is to join a mass ceremony.

Those cremated along with the former king were from 37 villages in the district of Mengwi, according to the Jakarta Post.

Celebration

Cremations are an occasion for celebration for the Balinese, as they represent the release of their ancestor's spirit, and the accomplishment of their duty.

The ceremony is never a sombre occasion, particularly as it is often so long after the bereavement.

We still give special respect to their descendants, but they are no longer kings

Ida Bagus Anom, master mask maker

As the beautifully decorated towers containing the remains are carried through the streets, there is shrieking and whooping and the bearers charge about.

They veer across the street, scattering onlookers and spin around to confuse the spirit and prevent it from trying to find its way home.

As Miguel Covarrubias observed in his book, the Island of Bali: "Strange as it seems, it is in their cremation ceremonies that the Balinese have their greatest fun."

The Kings of Bali

Bali has long been divided into regencies, each with its own king. Until Indonesia became a republic, these kings ruled the island.

Towers are made of plywood, fabric, tissue paper and gold foil

Ida Cokorda Mengwi was the last surviving member of the generation who had been kings. He died in September, aged 86.

Ida Bagus Anom, a master mask maker, told BBC News Online: "We still give special respect to their descendants, but they are no longer kings."

Crowds including representatives of all the Balinese noble families witnessed the cremation.

Sacred wood

The ceremony began with the purification of a sarcophagus in the shape of a white bull, representing this world.

Later the remains were placed in a huge tower called a Pemereman.

For royal cremations these towers are frequently so tall that the village's power cables have to be taken down to allow the procession to pass.

The ritual continued with a Manah Naga procession, performed only for kings.

Dozens of men, direct descendants of the king of Mengwi's soldiers, carried a 133-metre (400-foot) dragon-like creature in the procession.

The dragon was then shot with arrows to represent the release the of the soul from the body.

The elaborate structures take weeks to make but burn in minutes

Finally, the remains were taken to the cemetery, where close friends and relatives paid their last respects.

Using fragrant sacred wood, the body of the king was cremated.

As the flames of the pyre died down, the remains of the last king were returned to the elements.