For higher caste society in Bali, ngaben should be performed immediately after a family member passes away. For them, ngaben is usually an elaborate ceremony to honor their deceased relative. It takes days, weeks and even months to prepare for a grand, opulent ngaben ceremony. Millions of rupiah will be spent to create an intricate sarcophagus, usually built in the form of white or black cow, as well as huge bade (towering structure to transport the deceased to the cremation). They are also required to perform a series of pre- and post-ngaben rituals that involve scores of people and are very expensive.
But this is not always the case. For low-income and underprivileged families, ngaben can be too costly. In this situation, families usually bury their relative and wait until they have sufficient money to perform the required rituals. Fortunately, these days, many ngerit, or mass cremations, are held to ease the financial burden for those who wish to complete the Pitra Yadnya ceremony for the deceased relatives. Last month, residents of Padang Tegal village in Ubud, Gianyar, carried out a mass cremation for the benefit of all village residents who had not yet managed to perform ngaben. These ngerit are held by the village every three to five years. Every family in the village worked together to prepare the mass cremation, with 80 bodies to be cremated. The ceremony was held at a cemetery located within the Monkey Forest area in Ubud, taking place when the Monkey Forest was packed with visitors. From early morning, residents of Padang Tegal had already arrived at the cemetery to carry out every step of the ritual, solemnly but modestly completing the series of meaningful events amid hundreds of spectators.
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