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Hindus in Jakarta finally get free crematory as promised
The Jakarta administration has finally handed over a crematory to the capital's Hindu community to help them perform traditional rituals for the dead at a more affordable cost.
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Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan (second right) attends a ceremony to hand over a crematory machine to Jakarta's Hindu community at Segara Temple in Cilincing, North Jakarta on Dec. 11, 2019. (Tribunnews.com/Gerald Leonardo Agustino)
F
or families of Hindus in capital city Jakarta, taking care of family members who pass away has always been challenging as the crematorium facilities are limited.
About 20,000 Hindus in Jakarta have since 1975 been relying on a private Buddhist crematorium in Cilincing, managed by the Daya Besar Foundation, whenever a family member passed away.
Having such limited facilities has been a challenge, according to Iswara Darmawan, a Balinese Hindu who is a resident of Pluit in North Jakarta.
He said a Hindu family could spend tens of millions for the traditional ngaben (cremation) process. The process includes buying a coffin, bathing the deceased, preparing offerings, renting a boat to scatter ashes in the Jakarta Bay and giving honorarium to those who help the families.
“For a Hindu family, ngaben is part of our lives and probably one of the most sacred ceremonial events. It shows that we as family members have completed our duty and wish that the spirit can reach its happy next life,” Iswara said on Thursday.
He raised concern over inclusivity for all religious believers in the capital city, as the facilities were not all equal. However, he also expressed gratitude for the new crematory machine that has been recently provided by the Jakarta administration to the community.
“Hindu followers have not been getting enough attention outside of Bali. Like in the capital city, we only received a free-to-use and proper crematory machine this year. It’s hard to imagine what it is like in other regions,” he said.
