I am in Ubud, a small town on the island of Bali. This town is situated in the central uplands near the south of the island. It is surrounded by rainforest, iconic terraced rice fields, and many famous temples that have made it a popular place for tourists to visit.
Today is a very special day for the town, as it is the day dedicated to honoring the dead. From early in the morning there is an energy in the town, with smoke and the sound of bells dancing through the air. I am given a sarong by the family I am staying with, it is a beautiful blue and white checkered pattern cloth that is tied around my waist. It is customary to wear sarongs on this day, but they are popular with many of the locals for everyday wear as well. I am invited to join the family as they participated in the events of the day.
From what I witnessed, the rituals consisted of three main parts. The ritual begins at the temple, where the remains of the dead are brought and perhaps blessed before being put into different animal effigies. Then the family and many of the community’s men will carry the effigies down the road while playing instruments. Everyone else walks and joins the parade as they make their way down to the site of the burning.
Once the effigies had been placed in the final locations, the families and friends would say their prayers and add incense around the effigies. Then the fires would be lit.
After the fires subsided, the women would carry offerings and the families would collect the bone and ash from where the fires had been.
The air is heavy with smoke and the undeniable weight of emotion. Despite a fair amount of tears, the overall energy of the town was warm and peaceful.
I am told that these kinds of rituals are common for funerals, but this one is special because it is hosted by the town every five years. This means that families who may have been too poor to have their own private funeral ceremonies can take part in this large community ceremony at this time. I think this is a wonderful tradition, and it is nice to see the community come together to help each other mourn and honor their dead. This day was a very heavy and introspective day for me, and I am very grateful to the people of Ubud for allowing me to witness this beautiful tradition.
All photos were taken by myself on a Samsung S20. Thank you for reading! :)
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Happy to do my part! :)
This is such a beautiful and touching post! It’s amazing how the whole community comes together to honor their loved ones, especially for families who couldn’t afford a private funeral. The tradition sounds both emotional and peaceful at the same time. Thank you for sharing this experience with us! 😊
I think if more communities came together like this, the world would be a more peaceful and understanding place. Thank you for reading :)
Reminds me a bit of Coco - just missing the musical number and the talking dog. Sad, but beautiful at the same time because souls are honored and not forgotten. And honestly, if someone is going to send me to the other world, I'd rather it be with a parade than a somber background and sad aunts in black.
I definitely see the Coco connection, and there did seem to be a prevailing belief amongst the family that the ghosts were there with us. I enjoyed the upbeat music and colorful effigies, and would have to agree that this is more preferable to me than the black dress and somber tone of a western-style funeral. Thank you for reading my post!
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I remember visiting Ubud a very cool place. Did you stay there long?
!LUV
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I stayed for about 4 days in Ubud. It was a beautiful and interesting town, busier than I was expecting though as there were many other tourists around.
Thank you for appreciating my post!
I love pizza! Thank you for the slices haha