Cremation of the dead (pengabenan, pelebon) is perhaps the most important, and often the most colorful, ritual of Balinese religion. A cremation is necessary to liberate the soul of the deceased for the passage into heaven and reincarnation. Due to the immense cost and the complicated preparations necessary, cremations often occur long after the death of the person.

Usually, group cremation are held in order to share the expense and the labor revolved. Between death and cremation the body is buried in the cemetery, or, in the case of wealthy person whose family can arrange a cremation more quickly, the body lies in state in the family compound. During this time the soul of the deceased is thought to be agitated, longing for release. An auspicious day for the cremation is chosen by a pedanda, or priest, after conculting the Balinese calendar.

Preparations begin long before the appointed day. Each family builds a large tower of bamboo and paper, extravagantly painted according to the caste and wealth of the deceased, on a large bamboo platform. A magnificent, brightly colored, life size bull is also constructed of bamboo and plaster. On the morning of the cremation relatives and friends of the deceased visit the house of pay their last respect, and are richly entertained and fed by the family. At midday the body is whisked out of the house and carried, with the tower and bull, to the graveyard by members of the dead man’s banjar.

This becomes a loud, noisy, boisterous procession, designed to confuse the soul of the deceased so that it wiil lose its way and not be able to return to the family compound, where it could cause mischief. At the cremation ground the body is put into the belly of the bull. A priest officiates at the last rites, and then the fires are lit. after the burning, another raucous procession begins, carrying the ashes to the sea or the local river, where they are thrown to the wind. This represents the cleansing and disposal of the material body, and is cause for singing and laughing in the procession.

Later, there are private ceremonies for the care of the soul is believed to be reborn. The status of reborn soul relates to the person’s karma, or his conduct in previous lives. In general, the Balinese feel that the soul is reborn within the same circle of blood relations. This cycle of death and re-birth is the cause of the Balinese reference for ancestors. Every Balinese knows that one day he will be an ancestor, whose long passage through the other world must be expedited and cared for it if he is to return to his beloved island of Bali.