Ngaben is a cremation ceremony for most Balinese Hindu. A Ngaben is performed to release the soul of a dead person so that it can enter the upper realm where it can wait for it to be reborn or become liberated from the cycles of rebirth. The Balinese Hindu theology holds that there is a competition between evil residents of the lower realm to capture this soul, and a proper cremation enhances the chance that it may reach the upper realm.
A quick Ngaben is preferred, but usually too expensive. So in Balinese culture it is very common to bury the dead for up to a few years, pool funds together and cremate many recently dead on the same day in an elaborate community-based Ngaben masal, a mass cremation ceremony.
Click any photo for full screen view and to scroll through the Gallery.
