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Ubud gears up for royal cremation
An atmosphere of excitement fi lled Ubud on Sunday as locals and visitors geared up for Tuesday’s grand royal cremation of the late king of Peliatan, which will involve a gigantic wooden sarcophagus, a 25 meter-tall cremation tower and more than 6,800 pallbearers
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n atmosphere of excitement fi lled Ubud on Sunday as locals and visitors geared up for Tuesday’s grand royal cremation of the late king of Peliatan, which will involve a gigantic wooden sarcophagus, a 25 meter-tall cremation tower and more than 6,800 pallbearers.
The Palebon Agung, a term reserved for the cremation ceremonies of royal family members — as opposed to ngaben, the ceremony for normal Balinese — will be conducted for the late king of Peliatan, Ida Dewa Agung Peliatan IX.
He passed away on Aug. 21 after a fi ght with diabetes.
His embalmed body has been lying in state in a pavilion inside Peliatan Palace in preparation for the Palebon Agung.
“The Palebon Agung will be held on Tuesday; various rituals will start early in the morning but the actual cremation procession will start at around 1 p.m., when the body of the king will be transported on the bade (cremation tower) to Dalem Puri cemetery in Ubud,” Peliatan palace’s spokesperson Tjokorda Agung Pramitha Krisna Dalem said Sunday.
The procession will involve three major props; a 8.5 meter-tall wooden sarcophagus in the form of a white bull, a 6-meter long nagabanda (dragon bridge) and a 25 meter-tall bade.
The main roads of Peliatan and Ubud will be closed to traffi c during the procession. Consequently, severe traffi c congestion is expected in the Ubud area on Tuesday.
The white bull with golden-plated horns was crafted by members of the local pande (blacksmith) community as a testament to the age-old relationship between the Peliatan palace and the community. The 6 meter-long nagabanda was presented by the neighboring Ubud royal family.
“The Ubud royal family and the Peliatan royal family are of the same dynasty. We present this nagabanda as a token of solidarity with the Peliatan royal family,” the nagabanda’s architect, Tjokorda Gede Raka Sukawati, said.
In Balinese tradition only a ruling king is entitled to be carried on a nagabanda.
The majestic and glittering appearance of the dragon symbolizes the worldly desires and sensual pleasures that the king experienced in his life.
“The worldly desires, sensual pleasures and temptations suffered by a ruling king is naturally far greater than that encountered by a common man.
That’s why the cremation of a ruling king uses the nagabanda,” he added.
Prior to the procession from the palace to the Dalem Puri royal cemetery, a high priest will fi re a sacred arrow into the dragon in a symbolic action of destroying the worldly desires that tormented the deceased and thus releasing his soul from the chains of the material world.
The 25 meter-tall cremation tower has eleven pyramid-shaped roofs signifying the king’s lineage from the Majapahit noblemen who conquered the island in 14th century.
On Sunday, members of the local community completed the fi nishing touches on the elaborately decorated tower.
As many as 6,800 men from villages in Peliatan, Ubud, Pejeng, Taro and Tegalpayang will take turns carrying the heavy tower along the 2.5 kilometers from the palace to the cemetery.
“A cremation is always a communal event in Bali, a collective endeavor carried out by all members of
the community.
During the monthslong preparation for this cremation, the age-old bond between the palace and the local communities is rejuvenated and strengthened,” the elder of Peliatan palace, Tjokorda Gde PutraNindia said.
Following the passing of Ida Dewa Agung Peliatan IX, the palace’s heirlooms and authority were handed over to Tjokorda Gede Putra Nindia, a strong sign that he will be crowned the next king of Peliatan, one of three powerful royal houses in Gianyar.
