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Thousands attend largest-ever royal cremation
Bali bade farewell on Tuesday to Tjokorda Gede Agung Suyasa, the Prince of Ubud and the patron behind the ongoing revival of Balinese Hinduism in Indonesia, in a grand cremation ceremony
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Bali bade farewell on Tuesday to Tjokorda Gede Agung Suyasa, the Prince of Ubud and the patron behind the ongoing revival of Balinese Hinduism in Indonesia, in a grand cremation ceremony.
ROYAL CREMATION: A 28-meter-tall wooden pyre carries the remain of Tjokorda Gede Agung Suyasa, the prince of Ubud, from his family’s royal compound to a nearby cemetery for cremation Tuesday in one of largest royal funerals ever in Bali. (JP/I Wayan Juniartha)
The crowd reached an estimated 15,000 people.
Suyasa, who for three decades had served as the bendesa (chief) of the Ubud customary village, passed away last March after a prolonged illness. Ever since, his body had been placed in a pavilion at his family royal compound while waiting for the day of cremation.
The soft-spoken prince was the eldest son of the 10th child of the last king of Ubud, Tjokorda Gede Sukawati, who reigned from 1880 until 1917.
Well-known for his generosity in helping villages in Bali conduct religious festivals and rehabilitate places of worship, Suyasa played a vital role in the revival of Balinese Hinduism in Java, Kalimantan and West Nusa Tenggara.
He traveled frequently to those areas, offering advice and helping the local Hindu communities. Mandara Giri Semeru, the largest Hindu temple in East Java, was among Suyasa's important legacies to Balinese Hinduism.
Under his leadership, the royal house of Ubud emerged as the most powerful royal family in Bali.
The last political decision Suyasa made as the family's leader was selecting a member of the royal family, Tjok Oka Artha Ardana Sukawati, as the family's official candidate in the Gianyar regency election. The candidate won against the incumbent regent, a member of Gianyar's royal family.
Tuesday's cremation reflected the royal family's tribute to the passing of their leader in a grand palebon, one of the largest royal cremations the island has ever seen. For three months, locals had worked to prepare the cremation.
"We have also been assisted by members of 67 traditional customary villages across Bali. They wanted to show respect to the deceased by participating in the preparation of his cremation," the guardian of the royal family Tjokorda Raka Kerthyasa said.
Since early morning, streams of people flowed into downtown Ubud, where the Ubud Palace lies.
Some came from as far as Buleleng in northern Bali and Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara. By 10 a.m. the palace was surrounded by thousands of mourners and visitors.
Inside, several figures including former officials offered their condolences to the royal family. Among them Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik, Moerdiono, Laksamana Sukardi and Hendro Priyono. Former police officer Made Mangku Pastika, leading in the gubernatorial race, was also among the visitors.
At around 1 p.m. the ceremony began. The body of Tjokorda Gede Agung Suyasa was carried from the royal compound into the royal bade, a 28-meter-tall tower constructed from different woods and bamboo.
The tower was elaborately decorated with gold papers and various figures from Balinese Hinduism's mythology. The 11-ton tower had nine tiered roofs, signifying the elevated social status of the deceased.
As the sound of the traditional ensemble of Gong Beri filled the air, the royal procession started moving. Leading the way were detachments of royal soldiers from the Solo sultanate, followed by spear-holding Balinese warriors. Then came the wooden sarcophagus in the form of a black bull, and the tower of Tjokorda Raka, another member of the royal family.
The crowd lining up to the royal cemetery of Dalem Puri cheered when the gigantic sarcophagus of Suyasa passed by. They made a louder response when the naga banda (dragon), the symbol of a ruler's worldly attachments, followed. Yet nothing could beat their thunderous response when the towering bade moved before them.
It was carried on the shoulders of some 400 men.
"Upon carrying the bade for 150 meters they will be replaced by a fresh group of 400 men. Overall, 8,000 men are tasked with transporting the cremation's giant structures," Kerthyasa said.
On the base of the bade stood the royal family's influential figures, including Tjokorda Raka Kerthyasa and Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardana Sukawati. They directed the movement of the bade and occasionally sprinkled holy water on the exhausted bearers.
The most breathtaking scene was directly behind the bade: A street filled with nothing but men and women, children and adults.
It took almost an hour before the crowd thinned.
"My God, I've never seen such a huge number of people before. Where did they come from?" a local housewife, Kadek Purnami, said.
Her uncle said the crowd showed that the deceased "was not only the prince of Ubud, but the prince of the whole of Bali."
As the sun set, the body of Tjokorda Gede Agung Suyasa was surrendered to the blazing fire of purification. The sacred mantra uttered by some 60 Hindu high priest implored the Almighty to take the soul of this respected prince back into His eternal embrace.
