| Balinese Cremation Westerners find it curious how the Balinese treat the body of a dead relative. While the soul is regarded as all-important, the body is considered a foul, contaminated object to be dispensed with at the first opportunity.
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At cremations men clobber burning bodies with bamboo poles in order to break them up so they burn better. Corpses are unceremoniously prodded by relatives who make raucous jokes, mocking the body for not burning fast enough so they can all go home. |
As the fire subsides, the 'pedanda' climbs the elevated platform and utters a few 'mantra', ringing a bell to hasten the soul's journey to heaven. The eldest son rakes the ashes to make sure all the flesh is burned. |