Death is the climax periods of human’s life. The death will terminate the human’s life in the visible world. People often were not ready when they wondering if they have to facing the death, but with eagerness and good manners when they lived in the world, they will be able to deal with it.
Hinduism in Bali has a unique ritual in an ancient way in the cremation process. It is called Ngaben. Ngaben ceremony is must performed by the Balinese Hindu, in order to purify the spirit and to burn all the earthly things of the departed, so they can go to the afterlife in peace and sincerity.
Ngaben ceremony has a series of elaborate ritual process. Balinese Hindu believes that the
human body is composed of the five natural elements of the body formers called Panca Maha bhuta. Ngaben ceremony then performed to return the natural elements of the human body to the Panca Maha bhuta itself.
Ngaben ceremonyperformed with a sequence of preparation process after decides the good day and dates. This ceremony began by searching the holy water a few days earlier. The family also must prepare a ‘Bade’, or a cow made from wood, bamboo and colored paper and the colored must be adjusted on the family social status, then they put the dead body into the coffin inside the Bade. At the Ngaben ceremony, Tirta or holly water must be sprinkled twice to the dead body, the first sprinkle is called Toya Panembak, intended to ensure that the body is lifeless. The second
sprinkle is called Toya Pangentas, intended to keep his spirit away from the fire that will burn the dead body.
Balinese Hindu believes the departed’s soul will go to a better place and they have to let it go with willingness. That is why they were all not looks sad or crying at all at the Ngaben ceremony.