Ngaben or the Cremation Ceremony is the ritual performed
to send the dead through the transition to his next life.
The village Kul Kul, hanging in the tower of the village
temple, will sound a certain beat to announce the departure
of the deceased. The body of the deceased will be placed
at Bale Delod, as if he were sleeping, and the family will
continue to treat him as if he were still alive yet 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. 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.
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