A Day of Ritual Burning on Bali

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! :)